1846.] THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE. 507 



use them, when burnt, as coloring matter for their tattooing, rubbing the powder 

 into the wounds, in which state they are said to have a strong animal Bmell. When 

 newly dug up, the caterpillar is soft ; and when divided, the intestinal canal is dis. 

 tinclly seen. Most specimens possess the less entire, with the horny part of the 

 head and claws. The vegetating process is said invariably to proceed from the 

 nape of the neck, from which it may be inferred that the insect, in crawling to the 

 place where it inhumes itself prior to its metamorphosis, whilst burrowing in the 

 light vegetable soil, gets some of the minute seed of this fungus between the scales 

 of its neck, from which, in its sickening state, it is unable to free itself, and con- 

 sequeiitly, being nourished by the warmth and moisture of the insect's body, then 

 lying in a motionless state, vegetates, and not only impedes the process of change, 

 but likewise occasions the death of the insect. That the vegetating process, then, 

 commences during the life of the insect, appears certain, from the fact of the cat- 

 erpillar, when converted info a plant, always preserving its perfect form; in no 

 one instance, it is said, has decomposition appeared to have commenced, or any 

 part to have contracted or expanded beyond its natural size. It has been observed 

 that a plant of a similar kind has been discovered growing in abundance on the 

 banks of the Murimbdge, New South Wales, in a rich, black, alluvial soil. Both 

 are cryptogamous plants. 



It is a curious step in nature when the insect, instead of rising to the higher 

 order of the butterfly, and soaring to the skies, sinks into a plant and remains 

 attached to tlie soil in which it buried itself. 



I am, very respectfully, sir, your most obedient servant, 



JOHN B. WILLIAMS, Consul U. S. A. 



Francis Markok, Jr , Esq., 



Corresponding Secretary National Institute, Wasliington. 



LETTER FROM HON. HENRY A. WISE, AMERICAN MINISTER IN 

 BRAZIL, PRESENTING AN ANTIQUE COMPASS, MANUFACTURED 

 IN 1604, WITH A DESCRIPTION. 



Legation of the United States, Rio de Janeiro, 



February 2, 1846. 



Mr DEAR Sir : I send you, by the hands of Passed Midshipman Warrington, an 

 antique instrument of science, for the National Institute. 



The accompanying correspondence with Lieut. B. Shepard, of the United 

 States frigate Raritan, will describe it. 



Very respectfully and truly yours, 



HENRY A. WISE. 

 To F. Markoe, Jr., Esq., 



Corresponding Secretary of the National Institute, Washington, D, C . 



U. S. Ship Raritan, Rio de Janeiro, January 30, 1846. 



My dear Sir: I send ashore, to be forwarded to you by Mr. Garrett, the com. 

 pass. If there is any merit in its having marked the magnetic poles through all 

 their variations for two hundred and forty-two years, then it may claim some ; for 

 that the date (1604) borne on it is genuine, scarcely admits of a doubt. 



The idea that so complicated an all'air, with quite an almanac inscribed on its 

 plates, evidently calculated for "time long, long ago," would be constructed for 

 deceptive speculation, and sold for twenty-two milroes — the amount I obtained it 

 for — appears to me absurd. Besides, it shows such true signs of age as, I think, 

 would defy imitation in recent manufacture. I have no doubt tiiero may ba other 

 compasses of more ancient date, but I believe it would be diflicult to find one mora 

 unique in its construction. 



Professor Ward has been so kind as to examine it, and the result of his deci- 

 pherings I enclose — though ho thinks, for want of leisure, ho has been able to do 

 but partial justice to its configurations. For my own part, I have not had tha 

 time to examine it with attention. 



