infests the Lombards-Poplar. 141 



ties might be while still a reptile. The venomous nature 

 of the reptile could by no means be consequential of, or 

 deducible from, the possible properties of the winged 

 insect. And, although the future condition of the ani- 

 mal might be a fruitful subject of pleasing inquiry to the 

 curiosity of the naturalist, yet it could shed no beams 

 along the dark passage through which we had to pass, 

 in our way to the threshold of truth. How the unusual 

 death of an animal, after its reptile state should be at an 

 end, could influence the properties of the reptile state, 

 putting " a seal to the apprehension of its venomous na- 

 ture," is to me not very clear. I must leave this to the 

 ingenuity of Dr. Vaughan. 



The only sentence that has dropt from my pen, from 

 which any idea could be formed of my opinions, is the 

 following : " The reptile of which I treat, is pretty evi- 

 dently of the class of Caterpillar, and, in all probability, 

 of that genus termed, by some of the enlightened French 

 Naturalists, the false or spurious Caterpillar, which does 

 not after its chrysalis state pass into a butterfly." 



The first question, to my mind, arising to view here, 

 is, what is a Caterpillar-? 



And the second, how are Caterpillars divided ? or, 

 into how many genera are they separated ? 



In zoology, all winged insects, when in their reptile 

 state, are Caterpillars (see Eruca, Encyclopedia Brit.): 

 and, of necessary consequence, no insects, which are 



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