60 INSECT TRANSFORMATIONS. 



well-founded distrust of novel opinions, than to see 

 a man like Redi, who had declared open war 

 a2;ainst popular prejudices, and successfully com- 

 bated many of them, thus adopting- a notion so 

 improbable, or (to use a stronger term) so pitiable*." 

 It was Redi's countryman, Malpighi, who first dis- 

 covered the genuine history of gall-flies; but when 

 we consider that from the bedeguar-gall of the rose 

 alone no less than three different species of insects 

 may proceed, two of which {Callimone bedcguarU, 

 and Eurytoma stigma, Stephens) are parasites, 

 Redi had some cause foi being puzzled to explain 

 the ])henomena. 



Two other distinguished naturalists, Goedart and 

 Ray, found no less difficulty in accounting for the 

 progeny of ichneumons issuing from the caterpillars 

 and chrysalides of butterflies. Ray, indeed, lived to 

 ascertain the fact ; but he was at one time inclined to 

 believe, with Goedart, that when, fiom any defect 

 or weakness. Nature could not bring a caterpillar to 

 a butterfly, in order that her aim might not be en- 

 tirely defeated, she stoj)ped short, and formed them 

 into insects of a smaller size, and less perfect struc- 

 ture f. M. Goedart even persuaded himself, says 

 Reaumur sarcastically, that he had observed the 

 caterpillar interesting itself for its infant progeny, by 

 weaving for them an envelope of silk. It was also 

 fancied that what was wanting in size in the parasite- 

 flies, when compared witii tlie expected biitterfiy, 

 was made up in their greater numbers | ; with as 

 much probability, says Reaumur, as that a cat 

 would kitten a number of mice. The simple facts 

 which we shall now state, will point out the origin 

 of these strange mistakes. 



* Reaumur, Mem. iii. p. 4/6. 



f Ray, tiist. Ins., I'ref. xv., and Cant. 137. 



I Goedaitj quoted by Reaumur, vol. ii. p. 415. 



