ORDER II.—BUGS. 7a 
putable truths, and to contradict them would only be to ex- 
pose one’s self to the imputation of ignorance or criminal 
faithlessness. And although at present the possibility of 
making a living serpent out of wood, and the story of ani- 
mated leaves and sticks would be despised as absurd, yet 
many are to be found, both in Europe and America, who 
firmly believe in the animation of a horse-hair. But the 
most obvious errors have often a shadow of truth whereon 
to rest, or palliate, if not excuse them by the plea of igno- 
rance or mistake. ‘The historian of the walking-leaf may 
have been deceived by the Mantis siccifolium of Linneus 
(the Soothsayer), the wings of which bear some resem- 
blance to a leaf. The Gordius (a worm) resembles a horse- 
hair, and no doubt gave rise to the story of the metamor- 
phosis above mentioned; and the account of the walking- 
sticks may have very honestly originated from the singular 
appearance and form of the insect which bears this name.” 
I have above mentioned the name of Madame Merian as 
originally circulating the story of the Lantern-fly, and as 
her name is somewhat celebrated in the annals of Natural 
History, a more extended mention may not be unacceptable 
to my readers. 
Madame Maria Sibilla Merian was the daughter of 
Mathew Merian, a distinguished French artist. She was 
born in 1647, at Frankfort-on-the-Main, and early in life 
devoted herself to drawing and painting, particularly plants 
and insects. At the age of eighteen she was married to a 
painter of Nuremberg, named John Andrew Graf. This 
marriage did not prove a fortunate one; and a few years 
after it took place Graf’s affairs became so much involved, 
and his conduct in other respects so censurable, that he was 
obliged for a time to leave the country. In consequence 
of this separation, Madame Merian never assumed her hus- 
band’s name in any of her publications, but became known 
to the public by her maiden appellation. 
