DANGER OF THIS PERIOD. 151 



breeders of silk-worms tell us that that precious, 

 if not priceless, little larva, sheds its skin four 

 times ; other larva? moult oftener than these : some 

 five times, some seven times, some eight times, 

 and some nine, or even ten times ; others, again, 

 only moult thrice. The ordinary number of 

 moults appears to be about three or four. Some, 

 however, never moult at all in the larva state. 

 The larva of the common bee, and that of 

 the flesh-fly, and some others, are among this 

 number. 



Whatever may be the general opinion upon the 

 want of beauty and comeliness in insects, and 

 particularly during the larva stage of their history, 

 it is very certain that it is quite erroneous. We 

 may possibly fail, unaided by the pencil and co- 

 lours of the artist, in conveying even an approach 

 to an adequate conception of the rich and glowing 

 raiment with which it has pleased God to clothe 

 these minute and humble beings. But a very 

 little actual observation of a few even of the com- 

 moner larva? or caterpillars of the butterfly and 

 moth species, will convince the reader that few 

 other created things have been so exquisitely 

 adorned with magnificence of colour and apparel 



