CH. II.] METAMORPHOSES OP INSECTS. 43 



manner. Doomed to a regular appearance in the 

 winged state at the termination of the cold and un- 

 genial month of February, nature (that it may not 

 fail and become extinct) reserves a small portion of 

 it annually in the pupa state until the February fol- 

 lowing that of its pupation, and sometimes even 

 until the third occurrence of that frigid month ; 

 denying their emancipation all the intermediate 

 time, and thus effectually securing, by these unu- 

 sual means, the safety and perpetuation of an ani- 

 mal, small, it is true, but whose animal existence in 

 the winged state at that inclement season is proba- 

 bly of more consequence in the intricacy of its 

 great Creator's plans than we are at present aware 

 of, although he constantly exposes it to the danger- 

 ous vicissitudes of winter ; for 



' Each shell, each crawling insect, holds a rank 

 Important in the plan of Him who framed 

 This scale of beings ; holds a rank, which lost, 

 Would break the chain, and leave behind a gap 

 Which nature's self would rue.' " 



The cause of such exceeding care and solicitude 

 for the welfare of this moth it is difficult for any 

 one to explain or account for in any satisfactory 

 manner, unless indeed in such a one as the divine 

 Stillingtleet, author of the above admirable lines, 

 has suggested therein. 



It even appears that these insects are occasion- 

 ally not disclosed until the fourth year. In like 

 manner, the pivet hawk moth {Sphinx ligustri) has 

 been known to remain three years in the chrysalis 

 state ; and the Rev. J. Burrell once bred a small 

 emperor moth {Saturnia pavonia minor), which had 

 existed two years in that condition. Mr. Marshall 

 also records a similar circumstance respecting the 

 spotted muslin moth (Diaphora mendica) ; but in this 

 instance the regularity in the exclusion of the num- 

 bers of the moth was very remarkable, since out of 

 thirty-six chrysalides twelve appeared at the proper 



