GENERATION OP INSECTS. 



3 



tionably, that the imagination of Kircher had magni- 

 fied into young snakes, — which, being confined in 

 a covered box, were in a short time transformed into 

 flies, at first of a dull ash colour, wrinkled, un- 

 finished, and their wings not yet unfolded, — as is 

 always the case with winged insects just escaped 

 from their pupa case. In less than an hour, how- 

 ever, they ' unfolded their wings, and changed into 

 a vivid green, marvellously brilliant ' — most proba- 

 bly the green flesh-fly {Musca Ccesar. Linn.) 



It is a common opinion in this country, particu- 

 larly in the north, that if a horse's hair be put into 

 the water of a spring or a ditch, it will be in process 

 of time transformed, first into a hair-worm, and after- 

 wards into an eel. The deception, as in the instance 

 of Kircher's snakes, arises from the close resemblance 

 between a hair and the hair-worm ( Gordius aquati- 

 cus, Linn.), and between this and a young eel. This 

 fabled transformation of hair, which we have heard 

 maintained even by several persons of good educa- 

 tion, is physically impossible and absurd. 



The method laid down by Virgil in his Georgics 

 for generating a swarm- of bees is precisely of the 

 same description as the snake recipe of Kircher; and 

 though the ' Episode of Aristseus recovering his bees' 

 has been pronounced to be ' perhaps the finest piece 

 of poetry in the world,' we must be permitted to say 

 that it is quite fabulous and unphilosophical. The 

 passage runs thus : — 



Oft from putrid gore of cattle slain 

 Bees have been bred. * * * A narrow place. 

 And for that use contracted, first they choose. 

 Then nnore contract it, in a narrower room, 

 Wall'd round, and cover d with a low built roof. 

 And add four windows, of a slanting light 

 From the four winds, A bullock then is sought. 

 His horns just bending in their second year; 



