218 SALMOXIA. [eighth day. 



larly in the hyinenopterous, or bee tribe, might lead 

 to very important results. 



POIET. — Even in a moral point of view, I think 

 the analogies derived from the transformation of 

 insects admit of some beautiful applications, that 

 have not been neglected by pious entomologists. 

 The three states of the caterpillar, pupa or aurelia, 

 and butterfly, have, since the time of the Greek poets, 

 been applied to typify the human being — its terrestrial 

 form, apparent death, and ultimate celestial destination; 

 and it seems more extraordinary that a sordid and 

 crawling worm should become a beautiful and active 

 fly — that an inhabitant of the dark and fetid dung- 

 hill should in an instant entirely change its form, 

 rise into the blue air, and enjoy the sunbeams, — than 

 that a being, whose pursuits here have been after an 

 undying name, and whose purest happiness has been 

 derived from the acquisition of intellectual power 

 and finite knowledge, should rise hereafter into a 

 state of being, where immortality is no longer a 

 name, and ascend to the source of Unbounded Power 

 and Infinite Wisdom. 



PHYS. — I have been listening, Halieus, to your 

 account of water-flies with attention, and I only 

 regret, that your details were not more copious. Let 

 me now call your attention to that Michaelmas daisy ; 

 a few minutes ago, before the sun sunk behind the 



