FASTS OF INSECTS. 411 



state do not eat at all. The silk-worm moth, and 

 the Ephemercv, are amongst this number ; they live 

 so short a time, as not to require food. Some in- 

 sects also possess a most extraordinary power of 

 abstaining from food. There have been at different 

 times wonderful tales related of human beings, 

 who, in a supposed trance, have endured the pri- 

 vation of food for an extremely long time, weeks, 

 and even months. And more recently we have 

 an account of an Indian who suffered himself to be 

 buried alive, built over with bricks and mortar, 

 and a great seal set upon the only opening to his 

 tomb, a guard being also set ; and, after the 

 expiration of a certain time, before agreed upon, 

 the sepulchre was opened, and he was taken 

 out alive ! All this is extremely wonderful, if 

 we could only feel certain that there was no 

 deception in the case. But it is nothing to what 

 can be adduced from the insect world. The ant- 

 lion has been known to endure a fast of six entire 

 months, and to be as lively as possible at their 

 termination. An author quoted by Messrs. 

 Kirby and Spence kept a spider in a sealed 

 glass for ten months, at the end of which time, 

 though shrunk in size, it was as vigorous as 



