236 ROMANCE OF LOW LIFE AMONGST PLANTS. 



romantic associations with which the Chinese have 

 environed a similar insect-parasite to that of the 

 wasp, but which, in this case, attacks the caterpillar 

 of some species of moth. This production is called, 

 in their language, "summer herb, winter worm," in- 

 timating that in summer it is a plant, and in winter a 

 worm or grub. Each individual is about three inches 

 long, of which about one half is the metamorphosed 

 body of the caterpillar. It has a great reputation in 

 medicine in China, more on account of its rarity and 

 its mystery than of any virtue which it possesses. 

 Old specimens cost four times their weight in silver. 

 The narrative of this production is from the pen of 

 one of the Jesuit fathers, and is to the effect that 

 "the Chinese suppose that this is a plant during the 

 summer season, but that in winter its stalk dies, and 

 the root becomes a worm ; concerning which the 

 father observed, that nothing could more exactly 

 express a worm or caterpillar — the head, the eyes, 

 the feet, and the mouth, being all plainly distinguish- 

 able, as well as the several folds and cuttings in of 

 the body. This account, it is said, was found to be 

 perfectly true, but the mistake was owing to the 

 want of proper accuracy in the observation ; for the 

 body, which was supposed to be the root transformed, 

 had in reality never been any part of the plant, but 

 was found to be really and truly a caterpillar. 

 Some fanciful persons have supposed that when the 

 time of its change approached it always selected the 

 roots of this plant as of a proper size and dimensions 

 for its purpose, and, gnawing off the end, hollowed 

 away the stump, so as to introduce its tail into the 



