The Philosophy of Natural History

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Hilliard, Gray, Little and Wilkins, 1832 - 327 pages
 

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Page 144 - If we did not have a natural language, we could not acquire an artificial one. it is demonstrable, that, if mankind had not a natural language, they could never have invented an artificial one by their reason and ingenuity.
Page 205 - Upon these was a layer of rushes, and over them a layer of heath, and upon the heath rushes again ; upon which lay one young one, and an addle egg ; and by them a lamb, a hare, and three heath-poults. The nest was about two yards square, and had no hollow in it.
Page 305 - That numbers of swallows have been found in old dry walls, and in sand-hills, near his lordship's seat in East Lothian ; not once only, but from year to year ; and that, when they were exposed to the warmth of a fire, they revived.
Page 234 - ... and generally about the height of the common surface of the ground. It is always nearly in the shape of half an egg, or an obtuse oval, within, and may be supposed to represent a long oven. In the infant state of the colony, it is not above an inch, or...
Page 327 - ... are regular, comely, and, wonderfully undisfigured by the hand of time ; his eyes are of a lively blue ; his profile is Grecian, and very fine ; his head is completely covered with the most beautiful and delicate white locks...
Page 236 - These apartments compose an intricate labyrinth, which extends a foot or more in diameter from the royal chamber on every side. Here the nurseries and magazines of provisions begin ; and, being separated by small empty chambers and galleries, which surround them, and communicate with each other...
Page 125 - ... side, and terminating in a point. With this instrument the animal cuts a hole in the sand. After the hole is made, it advances the tongue still further into the sand, makes it assume the form of a hook, and with this hook, as a fulcrum, it obliges the shell to descend into the hole.
Page 217 - ... the walls. It is difficult to perceive, even with the assistance of glass hives, the manner in which bees operate when constructing their cells. They are so eager to afford mutual assistance, and, for this purpose, so many of them crowd together, and are perpetually succeeding each other, that their individual operations can seldom be distinctly observed. It has, however, been plainly discovered, that their two teeth are the only instruments they employ in modelling and polishing the wax.
Page 216 - ... capacity, but of the largest size in proportion to the quantity of matter employed, and disposed in such a manner as to occupy in the hive the least possible space.

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