264 NATURAL HISTORY. [CH. XVIIl 



a certain time of the year, changes into a worm. 

 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 plaiidy 

 distinguishable, as well as the several folds and 

 cuttings in of the body. This account 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 

 proper size and dimensions for its purpose ; and 

 gnawing off the end, hollowed away the stump, so 

 as to introduce its tail into the cavity, where it re- 

 mained covered with the bark of the root, which so 

 nicely joins to it, that those who observe it in a 

 slight way cannot but mistake it to be a part of the 

 root, or the remainder of the root a continuation of 

 the body. On opening the body of a larva, however, 

 we find that the root of the fungus entirely occu- 

 pies the whole interior portion from the head to the 

 opposite end. 



Most authors have supposed that the seeds are 

 swallowed by the larva and cause its death, and 

 that after that event it becomes the soil or base 

 upon which the vegetables fasten themselves, and 

 thus germinate in the decaying remains. On the 

 other hand, if it be supposed that they are propagated 

 by seeds in the ordinary mode, it plainly appears 

 that the seeds would, on being wafted through the 

 air, alight upon the most exposed part of the un- 

 hatched insect that was accommodated for its re- 

 ception, and this would, of course, be near the 



