Chapter XII. 



Form and Structure of Pupae- 



The figures delineated in the preceding chapter 

 show how different in form many pupge are, both from 

 their larvjE and from the insects to be afterwards 

 evolved from them, — as different, indeed, as the form 

 of a bud from the seedling tree, or from the leaf, 

 branch, or blossom, which is destined to shoot from it. 

 Pupse, as we formerly remarked, have as striking an 

 analogy to the buds of plants, as eggs have to seeds; 

 — and this is the more necessary to be insisted on, 

 that their nature has been grossly misrepresented 

 even by authors of eminence, and, in other matters, of 

 unquestionable accuracy. The term MeiamorphoaiSj 

 so long applied to the various stages of insect liie, 

 has been one of the chief means of propagating the 

 erroneous views in question, inasmuch ap it implies 

 a supernatural change like those described in the 

 poetical fables of Ovid. The term Transformation, 

 though not perhaps free from a similar imphcation, 

 is much less strong and less likely to mislead. 



That our objection does not originate in hypercri- 

 tical nicety, but is of no little importance with regard 

 to the accurate knowledge of the history of insects, 

 could be proved by reference to many well-known 

 works of natural history; but we shall limit our 

 illustrations to one or two of those strange lancies 

 which have obscured and perplexed this branch of 

 our subject. 



We shall begin with the illustrious Harvey, — the 

 discoverer of the circulation of the blood, — who, in 



