48 NATURAL HISTORY. [cH. III> 



cone being rounded; and this appears to be still 

 more satisfactorily illustrated by the circumstance 

 that the slight motions of the pupa are entirely pro- 

 duced by the twisting about of the apex of the cone, 

 which part encloses the segments of the abdomen 

 of the insect. 



We shall now proceed to notice the peculiarities 

 observable in these conical chrysalides, and in the 

 cocoons which are thus dependant upon the forms 

 of their bodies. 



Respecting the form of these chrysalides, but little 

 need be said. They are of a cylindric shape, the 

 head is rounded, and the tail produced into a conical 

 point ; the wings, legs, and antennae, are disposed as 

 in the pupae of butterflies. It is the coverings con- 

 structed by the caterpillars, in which these chrysa- 

 lides pass their inactive and almost lifeless state, 

 which more particularly merit our attention. And 

 here we may observe, that it appears to be a re- 

 markable provision of nature, that while the chrys- 

 alis state of the delicate butterfly is undergone in a 

 naked and exposed manner, the robust moths and 

 sphinxes are buried in cocoons beneath the earth 

 or in the midst of leaves. May not this circum- 

 stance be intended to represent the difference in the 

 habits of the future insect ; preparing it, as it were, 

 for its coming mode of life 1 The butterfly passing 

 its life in the sunbeams, we may suppose that in its 

 exposed chrysalis state it is becoming fitted for the 

 glare of light in which it is to live ; while the moth, 

 appearing only in the dusk, passes its inactive state 

 within the darkened chamber of its cocoon. 



This leads us to notice another beautiful provision 

 of nature, in which, although we observe her every- 

 where lavishing her bounties with the utmost prod- 

 igality, we find them constantly applied where they 

 will neither be lost nor misplaced. We allude to 

 the illustration afforded by the various tribes of but- 

 terflies and moths of the distribution of colours in 



