Ill 



eight inches above its surface, there fix themselves, and continue some time, till their inter- 

 nal form, growing too big to be confined within the skin, that a few minutes afterwards will 

 be entirely thrown oflT, on a sudden, that part of it that covers the thorax, splits or bursts 

 on the upper side, and the creature, pushmg out its head, next disengages its fore legs, 

 which fastening to any substance within its reach, 'Iraws gently the remainder of its body 

 and legs entirely out, just as a man draws his leg out of a boot, leaving its slough or skin 

 sticking in its place, and in the exact form wherein it appeared itself but a few moments 

 before. Having thus quitted its former covering, it waits for the wings to expand them- 

 selves, and grow to their proper size, being before confined within those small cases I men- 

 tioned were placed on its back. In about half an hour, if the weather is favoui'able, this 

 extraordinary operation is completed ; and the wings having arrived to their proper size, 

 the creature generally makes an effort to trv its strength, well knowing, that if it fails in 

 attempting to fly without being endued with a sufficient degree of it, it must certainly fall in 

 that water it lately quitted, and there perish ; but having made several motions with its wings, 

 and finding its power equal to its desire, it suddenlv flies into the air, and there fills up a 

 character, as different from the fomier as one element is fi-om the other. At the time this 

 change is accomplishing, the instrument or weapon for catching their prey, before men- 

 tioned, by an effect of nature, totally disappears, and not the least vestige of it then remains ; 

 the mouth, indeed, is furnished mth jaws, and those of a very extraordinary form (di\'iding 

 themselves both horizontally and perpendicularly), but no part of them appear extended 

 beyond the rest, or have the least appearance of being furnished with an instrument like 

 what they had in their former state.* 



" Hitherto I have considered these creatures onlv in their infant or incomplete states ; 

 wherein the faculties and powers they are endued with, are entirely different from those of 

 their perfect and complete ones. In the former I have described them swimming and 

 grovelling about in the water, preying upon the lesser kinds of insects, being incapable of sub- 

 sisting for any length of time out of that element ; in the latter we must ^^ew them capable 

 of fiying in the open air, and conveying themselves from place to place. If they are then 

 confined to the limits of a small pond, they are now capable of roving from tree to tree, and 

 from field to field, darting and skimming along with all the rapidity and seeming jov, that 

 a being sensible of, and exulting in its own powers, can be supposed to do ; in short, we 



* " The morning is the time they generally choose for completing this change, because I am pretty certain it is in their power to 

 retard this regeneration considerably, if I can judge from concun-ent circumstances attending those I have kept in glass bowls, on 

 purpose to observe their nature and behaviour. In one of these I have seen two libella-caterpillars, that were fully grown, for three 

 days successively creep up the straws out of the water, in order to undergo their transformation ; but finding themselves deprived 

 of the sun-shine, (a circumstance generally attending this performance,) or at least that agreeable warmth of air so necessary for 

 their pui-pose, they retired into the water ; in an hour's time they made another essay, but finding the same circumstances subsisting 

 as before, they again retired under water, and this they continued doing for three mornings ; till at length one of them, wearied 

 out by those frequeut eflbrts, the period of nature not being to be totally avoided or suppressed, although it might be retarded, 

 perished in the water, being at length so weak as to be unable to creep above its surface. Tlie- other, on removing the vessel into 

 the sunshine, yielded its proper insect." 



