THE ANIMAL KINGDOM. 135 



trates the intentions of nature ; guided by analogy he sees 

 in the unformed caterpillar the lineaments of the butterfly. 

 Malpighi, who has left us such noble works on the silk- 

 worm, with his lynx-eye saw in the nymph the organs of 

 maternity. Ramdohr and Carus penetrated still further, 

 and succeeded in discovering in the caterpillar the first 

 rudiments of the ovary, in which the eggs are produced. 

 But what unperceived, unexplained marvels still remain ! 

 The imago is carefully protected by a series of coverings, 

 of which it successively denudes itself. Then, as befits the 



70. Hooked Feet and Nail of (lie Willow-Caterpillar. From Lyonet. 



last scene of life save one, that which the chrysalis now 

 takes on is thicker, stronger, darker, and less ornamented 

 than all the others, and nevertheless it is beneath this that 

 a divine alchemy scatters its dust of gold and silver upon 

 the elytra of the insect, or enamels them with sapphire and 

 ruby. 



When the new creature, bursting the envelope in which 

 it was developed, expands itself in the light, its dazzling 

 robe reflects the brightest sheen of metal or the sparkle of 

 precious stones. No animal, no plant, displays such riches ; 

 our most beautiful ornaments cannot compete with them. 

 Hence Lesser was so overcome by admiration as to exclaim 

 in his " Theology of Insects," " Never was Solomon on his 



