CH. I.] METAMORPHOSES OF INSECTS. 25 



thin as a cobweb, appear on the inner surface of 

 the skin when thrown off. 



But the insect, even when thus extricated from 

 the walls of its chrysalis prison, has not yet attain- 

 ed its full perfection, being at first weak and feeble ; 

 and, as might easily be expected from an examina- 

 tion of the chrysalis, the wings are of a very small 

 size, compared to that which they acquire when 

 fully expanded, appearing at first like pieces of wet 

 paper, soft, and full of wrinkles, cavities, and swel- 

 lings, as represented in the following figure : — 



They, however, expand so rapidly, that, as Swam 

 merdam observes, "the naked eye cannot trace 

 their unfolding, from reaching scarce half the length 

 of the body, until they acquire, O miracle of mira- 

 cles! in the short space of about half a quarter of 

 an hour, their full extent and bigness," the various 

 spots and markings increasing in equal proportion. 



The proceedings of one of the insects which we 

 have selected to illustrate this branch of the sub- 

 ject, namely, the swallow-tailed butterfly, when 

 just disclosed, have been recorded by Messrs. Kirby 

 and Spence from actual observation, and from their 

 statement we extract the following passage : — " To 

 observe how gradual, and yet how rapid, was the 

 development of the parts and organs, and particu- 



VOL. II.— C 



