19f) 

 Chapter VI IF. 



Voracity of Caterpillars, Grubs, and Maggots. 



Insects, in the early stage of their existence, may 

 be compared to an Indian hunter, who issues from 

 his hut, as they do from the ei:^g, with a keen 

 appetite. As soon as he is successful in finding 

 game, he gorges himself till he can eat no more, 

 and then laying him down to sleep, only bestirs 

 himself again to go through a similar process of 

 gorging and sleeping : just so the larvie of insects 

 doze away a day or more when casting their skins, 

 and then make up for their long fast by eating with 

 scarcely a pause. Professor Bradley calculates 

 (though upon data somewhat questionable) that a 

 pair of sparrows carry to their young about three 

 thousand caterpillars in a week* ; but this is nothing 

 when compared with the voracity of caterpillars. Of 

 the latter we have more accurate calculations than that 

 of Bradley, who multiplied the number of caterpillars 

 which he observed taken in one hour by the hours of 

 sunlight in a week. Redi ascertained by experiment 

 that the maggot of the common blow-fly (Miisca cm- 

 naria) becomes from 140 to 200 times hea^;ier within 

 twenty-four hours t ; and the cultivators of silk-worms 

 know the exact quantities of leaves which their broods 

 devour. *' The results," says Count Dandolo, ** of 

 the most exact calculations is, that the quantity of 

 leaves drawn from the tree employed for each ounce 

 of eggs amounts to 1609 lbs. 8 oz., divided in the 

 following manner : — 



* Account of the Works of Nature, 

 t Esperienze de Itisetli, p. 23. 



