provide for the wants of a season, whose duration and inclemency would effectually preclude a regular supply of their accustomed nourishment.

“The winter quarters of the beavers are situated on the bank of a river or a creek, or where these are not to. be found, on the edge of a lake or pond. In selecting the exact spot where they may form their houses, they appear to be guided by two considerations, viz.—a sufficient depth of water, to prevent its being completely frozen, and the existence of a current, by means of which they can readily convey wood and bark to their habitations. To prevent the water from being drained off, when the frost has stopped the current toward its source, the beavers construct a dam across the stream; and, in this work, they certainly display wonderful sagacity, skill, and perseverance. The dam is constructed of drift-wood, branches of willows, birch, poplar, stones, and mud, brought by the beavers in their mouths, or between their paws, and not, as many have asserted, on their tails. If the current be slow, the dam runs straight across; but if the stream be rapid, the dam is formed with a regular curve, having the convexity toward the current, so as effectually to resist the force of the water and ice, that rush down during the storms of winter, or the thaws that take place in spring. These dams are several feet in thickness, and of such strength, when completely formed, that a man can walk along them with perfect safety.

“Having completed their dam, they proceed to construct their cabins. These are partly excavations in the ground, though their roofs form a sort of vaulted dome that rises a little above the surface. The houses have seldom more than one apartment, and never more than one floor, which is raised in the middle, to allow of the inhabitants eating and sleeping in a dry situation. The principal entrance and outlet to these houses, is next the water, on the very edge of which they are constructed; and the opening always slopes toward the water, till it terminates so far

below its surface, as to preserve a free communication in the most severe frosts. There appears to be another, though smaller, opening next the land. The houses are of various sizes, in proportion to the number of inhabitants, which seldom exceeds ten or twelve, though sometimes double that number has been found in the same dwelling. Many of these houses stand together along the margin of the water, forming a village of from ten to thirty tenements.

"During the latter end of summer, the beavers cut down their wood, and collect their roots. The latter is kept in the water, whence they fetch it as occasion may require. In eating, they sit on their rump like a squirrel, with their tail doubled in between their hind legs, and holding their food between their paws. When disturbed, they utter a peculiar cry, and plunge into the water, flapping the ground and the water with their tail."

The faculty of storing is also to be found, as we have previously stated, among insects, of which the example of the honey-bee is the most striking. The habits of this wonderful insect, the large and orderly community in which it lives, yielding undeviating fealty to a female sovereign; the mathematical precision with which it builds its cell; its unwearying industry; its wise foresight; its colonizing propensity, have already been described in speaking of the hybernating instincts of the insect creation. In studying its operations, as well as that of the beaver, and indeed of the other storing animals, we seem to get still deeper insight into the nature of that mysterious faculty which, resembling reason in so many particulars, yet differs from it in this, that its impulses are uniform and unchangeable, belonging nearly in equal perfection in all ages, and under all circumstances, to every individual of the species; not capable of improvement by education, but regulated by propensities which are directed by a wisdom of which the species is not conscious, to the attainment of a future object, which they have not fore

thought to contemplate.* What is this but the impress of the finger of God?

* Mr Broderip gives a curious and interesting account of the habits of a tame beaver, brought to this country in 1825, which seems to illustrate the distinctive difference subsisting between reason and instinct, even where they appear to make the nearest approach. This little creature was still very young when let out of his cage, but immediately showed his building instinct. He began by selecting the longest materials within his reach, such as sticks, sweeping-brushes, &c. which he piled up in such a way that one end touched the wall, and the other projected into the room. "As the work grew high, he supported himself upon his tail, which propped him up admirably; and he would often, after laying on one of his building materials, sit up over against it, apparently to consider his work, or, as the country people say, judge it.' This pause was sometimes followed by changing the position of the material' judged,' and sometimes it was left in its place. After he had piled up his materials in one part of the room (for he generally chose the same place), he proceeded to wall up the space between the feet of a chest of drawers which stood at a little distance from it, high enough on its legs to make the bottom a roof for him, using, for this purpose, dried turf and sticks, which he laid very even, and filling up the interstices with bits of coal, hay, cloth, or any thing he could pick up. This last place he seemed to appropriate for his dwelling; the former work seemed to be intended for a dam. When he had walled up the space between the feet of the chest of drawers, he proceeded to carry in sticks, cloth, hay, cotton, and to make a nest; and, when he had done, he would sit up under the drawers, and comb himself with the nails of his hind feet."

It is scarcely necessary to say, that there was, in the case of this tame beaver, a propensity evinced to construct, where the object of the propensity no longer existed. The author of its being had bestowed on it this instinct, for the use of the species in its wild state; and, being destitute of the reasoning power which would have taught it the needlessness of the trouble it was taking, it still continued not only to build its house, and line its nest, where it was already sheltered and comfortable, but to construct a dam where there was no water.

201

EIGHTH WEEK-SUNDAY.

PROOFS OF DIVINE BENEVOLENCE IN THE WORKS OF CREATION.

66

"CONTRIVANCE proves design," argues Dr Paley; and the prominent tendency of the contrivance indicates the disposition of the designer. The world abounds with contrivances; and all the contrivances we are acquainted with, are directed to beneficial purposes. Evil, no doubt, exists; but it is never, that we can perceive, the object of contrivance. Teeth are contrived to eat, not to ache; their aching now and then is incidental to the contrivance, perhaps inseparable from it; or even, if you will, let it be called a defect in the contrivance; but it is not the object of it. This is a distinction that well deserves being attended to. In describing implements of husbandry, you would hardly say of a sickle, that it is made to cut the reaper's fingers, though, from the construction of the instrument, and the manner of using it, this mischief often happens. But, if you had occasion to describe instruments of torture or execution, this, you would say, is to extend the sinews; this to dislocate the joints; this to break the bones; this to scorch the soles of the feet. Here pain and misery are the very objects of the contrivance. Now, nothing of this sort is to be found in the works of nature. We never discover a train of contrivance to bring about an evil purpose. No anatomist ever discovered a system of organization calculated to produce pain and disease; or, in explaining the parts of the human body, ever said, this is to irritate; this to inflame; this duct is to convey the gravel to the kidneys; this gland to secrete the humour which forms the gout. If, by chance, he come at a part of which he knows not the use, the most he can say is, that it is useless. ever suspects that it is put there to incommode, to annoy, or torment. Since, then, God hath called forth his con

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summate wisdom to contrive and provide for our happiness; and the world appears to have been constituted with this design at first, so long as this constitution is upheld by him, we must, in reason, suppose the same design to continue.”

"

This is a beautiful, and, in many respects, a just view of the constitution of nature, with reference to living beings; which, while it does not account for the origin of evil, nor vindicate its existence, yet undeniably proves benevolence in the great Creator. Had He been malevolent, we should certainly have had malevolent contrivances; had He been indifferent to good and evil, we should not have so constantly found, in all the contrivances of nature, a regard to happiness. Still, it must never be forgotten, that the same Divine power, which called such a world as ours into existence, might have formed it free from both moral and natural evil; and this proves, beyond contradiction, that this wise and benevolent Being did not admit the presence of evil, without a wise and benevolent design, whatever that may be. Paley, in his eagerness to vindicate the Divine perfections, seems sometimes to lose sight of this important truth, and to argue as if evil were either an unavoidable incident of creation, or an effect of chance, both of which are obviously untenable positions; and, if such tendency can be discovered in the argument quoted above, I am not inclined to justify it. The fact that all the contrivances of Nature are benevolent, so far as they go, is all that I contend for. The existence of evil notwithstanding, is to be accounted for on another principle, the nature of which we can only understand, as I have already stated, by studying the book of Revelation.

Referring to the subject we were considering during the last week, the hybernation of animals, there can be no doubt, that the Creator, if He had so willed, might have constituted their frames in such a manner as to render winter as profuse of blessings to them, in their native

* Paley's Moral Philosophy, book ii. chap. 5.