260 NATURAL HISTORY. [cH. Xi'UI. 



proved that neither the odour of turpentine, nor the 

 substance itself, when appHed to the insect's body, 

 caused death. About the middle of May the cater- 

 pillar, having previously gone through the chrysalis 

 state, escapes from its habitation in the sliape of a 

 small agile moth. If the thickness and tenacity of 

 the walls of the resinous gall be looked to, it is not 

 a little surprising how a little feeble moth, altogeth- 

 er unprovided with instruments capable of piercing 

 such a substance, should contrive to effect its 

 escape. It is evident that the moth cannot, and, in 

 fact, does not, do it directly. 



In all those galls from which the perfect insect 

 has escaped, a small circular hole may be observed, 

 to the edges of which the skin of the chrysalis re- 

 mains attached in such a way that one half of it re- 

 mains within, the other half without the gall. It is 

 certain then that the moth, while as yet enveloped 

 by the skin of the chrysalis, makes use of the sharp 

 hard head and horny skin to effect its escape. It 

 pushes these through the resinous walls of its pris- 

 on, and after a natural tunnel, as it were, has been 

 formed, it then, and not till then, opens its chrysahs 

 skin and seeks the air. 



Having thus given an additional account of those 

 insects which are parasitical on plants, we will now 

 offer the reader a history of those plants which are 

 sometimes found attached to insects, whether in 

 their perfect or imperfect states, showing the vari- 

 ous means which nature has ordained for checking 

 too rapid an increase of plants and animals. 



We will mention them in scientific order, begin- 

 ning with a species of melolontha, which the 

 Americans term May bug, the larvae of which are 

 found in great profusion in meadows at certain sea- 

 sons of the year, when it is not unusual to find 

 some which have attached to them a vegetable 

 sprout. In some instances this sprout is three inch- 

 es in length; it generally proceeds from between 



