ON ANIMAL COTTON, OR THE INSECT FLY-CARRIER. 269 



that is to fay, fome time in the month of Auguft, thofe eggs 

 may be feen by the help of a microfcope, hatching on the body 

 of that animal. 



Thofe eggs are all hatched at the fame moment, and it is Hiftory of the 

 impoffible to catch the moral point of time which may intervene infeftfi « 

 between the birth of one and that of another. At one glance, 

 the caffada-worm is feen covered with all the little worms that 

 have juit been hatched. They iflue out of him at every pore, 

 and that animated robe covers him fo entirely, that nothing can 

 be perceived but the top of his head. He then turns to a 

 dirty white, the little worms appear black to the eye, but their 

 true colour is a deep brown. 



This operation lafts hardly more than an hour, and is fol- 

 lowed by another which is not much larger but which is much 

 more curious. 



As foon as the worms are hatched, and without quitting 

 the fpot where the egg is which they have broke through, 

 they yield a liquid gum, which by coming into contact with 

 the air, becomes folid and (limy. 



At the fame time, and by a fimultaneous motion, they raife 

 themfelves on their lower extremity, (hake their heads and 

 one half of their bodies, and fwing themfelves in every direc- 

 tion. Now is going to begin an operation which will afford 

 the greateft delight to the admirer of nature. 



Each of thofe animalcule works himfelf a fmall and almoft 

 imperceptible cocoon in the fiiape of an egg, in which he 

 wraps himfelf up. Thus, they make, as it were, their wind- 

 ing fheet. They feem to be born but to die. 



Thofe millions and millions of cocoons, all clofe to each 

 other, and the formation of which has not taken two hours, 

 form a white robe in which the caflada-worm appears ele- 

 gantly clothed. While they are thus decking him, he remains 

 in a ftate of almoft lethargic torpidity. 



As foon as this covering is woven, and the little workmen 

 who have made it have retired and hid themfelves in their 

 cells, the worm endeavours to rid himfelf of thofe barbarous 

 guefts, and of the robe which contains them, but he does not 

 fucceed in this attempt without the greateft efforts. 



He comes out of this kind of enclofure, entirely flaccid and 

 dull, inftead of his former fat and Alining appearance, his fkin 



now 



