PICTORIAL AND POETlCAtr 405 



t shiill now briefly pass in review the changes exhibited in 

 those orders of insects best known, using the names employed in 

 almost every system, without here unnecessarily troubling myself 

 with the details of any.* 



We are now become so familiar with the transformations of 

 the Lepidopterous or Moth and Butterfly tribes, that I need not 

 enter into any lengthened detail respecting them ; but if you 

 desire to observe these for yourselves, I do not not know that you 

 can do it easier than with the Bombyx poiatoria, or Drinker Moth, 

 so called from his being a member of the Toby Philpot fraternity. 

 You may frequently observe the caterpillar habited in a fine 

 dark velvet coat, with brilliant yellow facings, reposing on a dry 

 stick at the bottom of a hedge. Capture and feed it with the 

 rough grass usually found in ditches, occasionally treating it with 

 a drop of genuine mountain dew, for it is really a " drinker" 

 as the name implies, and it will soon amuse you by doffing the 

 old skin, and forming itself a comfortable warm cocoon, another 

 term for a fur-like chrysalis. Here it remains a fortnight or 

 more, finally "coming out" a brisk, fluttering orange-and-brown 

 moth. 



In China, it is a favourite occupation of the ladies, who can 

 scarcely balance themselves on Iheir small feet, to superintend 

 the rearing of the many fine species of the papilio race found in 

 that countr}^, many of which are very large and beautiful. 

 Cages are formed there for the reception of the perfect butterfly. 



In the dipterous, or two-winged flies, the larva is termed a 

 maggot, having no articulate or prehensile feet; and generally 

 preying on decayed animal and vegetable substances. The 

 house and flesh fly (Musca domestica et carnaria) are well known 

 familiar instances; I shall therefore refer to the history of the 

 gnat, as more particularly meriting attention. Its larva is an 

 inhabitant of the water, and consequently needs some contrivance 

 to breathe, in the absence of those spiracles which are allotted to 

 its land brethren. For this purpose a slender tube is attached 

 to one of the posterior rings of the abdomen. The extremity of 

 this tube is surrounded with a fringe of hairs, which, when 

 expanded, enables the larva to float upon the surface of the 

 water, and when it descends, the hairs shut round, enclosing a 

 silver bubble, which enables it to dive at pleasure till its stock of 

 air is exhausted. When it assumes the pupa state, it loses this 

 curious apparatus, and respires by two horns placed on the 

 head ; and as a perfect gnat, again changes its breathing appa- 

 ratus to respire through spiracles. In about ten days after the 



* It is to be regretted that no work can be recommended to the student as con- 

 taining a perfect synopsis of British Entoraology, on a moderate scale. Of course 

 all who can will procure the admirable works of Curtis and Stephens, The class 

 "Insecta" in Cuvier's Animal Kingdom, by Griffiths and others, as Avell as 

 Samouelle's Guide, and the recent " Grammar of Entomology" of Mr. Newman, 

 may all be consulted with great advantage. 



