152 



MEMOIR ON ANIMAL COTTON. 



line from the mouth to tjie anus, becaufe it appears to 

 me that this caufe of elaboration would not have the 

 fame deftination. 



Its Food, 



It feeds on caflada leaves, of which it is extremely 

 greedy. It feeds at all hours, day and night. It alfo 

 nibbles the leaves of the potatoe, this is however but -a 

 tranfitory tafte, it foon returns to the caflada leaf. . 



I have to obferve that after it has taken its food, when 

 the time of its metamorphofis arrives, it does not purge 

 itfelf by diet, like the filk worm, but continues to eat 

 to the laft moment. 



'TJoe Approach of its Metamorphojis. 



In the month of Auguft, and when on the point of 

 undergoing its metamorpiiofis, it ftrips off its fuperb 

 robe, and puts on one of an admirable fea-green, this 

 fundamental colour refiedis all its various fhades, accord- 

 ing to the different undulations of the animal, and the 

 different accidents of light. 



The Sting of the Ichneumon Fly. 



This new decoration is the fignal of its tortures. Im- 

 mediately a fwarm of ichneumon flies aflfail it. I think 

 1 am not miftakcn when I aflert that there is not one of 

 its pores that has not -one of thofe flies faftened to it. 

 There is even no neceflity of making ufe of the micro- 

 fcope to fee that he is covered with them. 



Jn vain he ftruggles with all his might, raifes himfelf 

 upright to get rid of his cruel tormentors — He muft fub- 

 mit. Thofe flies, of the fmalleft fpecies, and which can 

 only be fludied by means of the microfcope, drive their 



flings 



