ORDER II. BUGS. 75 



putable truths, and to contradict them would only be to ex 

 pose one s self to the imputation of ignorance or criminal 

 faithlessness. And although at present the possibility of 

 making a living serpent out of wood, and the story of ani 

 mated leaves and sticks would be despised as absurd, yet 

 many are to be found, both in Europe and America, who 

 firmly believe in the animation of a horse-hair. But the 

 most obvious errors have often a shadow of truth whereon 

 to rest, or palliate, if not excuse them by the pica of igno 

 rance or mistake. The historian of the walking-leaf may 

 have been deceived by the Mantis siccifoliwn of Linnscns 

 (the Soothsayer), the wings of which bear some resem 

 blance to a leaf. The Gordius (a worm) resembles a horse 

 hair, and no doubt gave rise to the story of the metamor 

 phosis above mentioned ; and the account of the walking- 

 sticks may have very honestly originated from the singular 

 appearance and form of the insect which bears this name.&quot; 



I have above mentioned the name of Madame Merian as 

 originally circulating the story of the Lantern-fly, and as 

 her name is somewhat celebrated in the annals of Natural 

 History, a more extended mention may not be unacceptable 

 to my readers. 



Madame Maria Sibilla Merian was the daughter of 

 Mathew Merian, a distinguished French artist. She was 

 born in 1647, at Frankfort-on-the-Main, and early in life 

 devoted herself to drawing and painting, particularly plants 

 and insects. At the age of eighteen she was married to a 

 painter of Nuremberg, named John Andrew Graf. This 

 marriage did not prove a fortunate one ; and a few years 

 after it took place Grafs affairs became so much involved, 

 and his conduct in other respects so censurable, that he was 

 obliged for a time to leave the country. In consequence 

 of this separation, Madame Merian never assumed her hus 

 band s name in any of her publications, but became known 

 to the public by her maiden appellation. 



