CATERPILLARS IN GENERAL. 47 



ble and tree, eating its leaves, and preparing for 

 a state of greater perfection. They have feet 

 both before and behind, which not only enable 

 them to move forward by a sort of steps made by 

 their fore and hinder parts, but also to climb up 

 vegetables, and to stretch themselves out from 

 the boughs and stalks, to reach their food at a 

 distance. All of this class have from eight feet, 

 at the least, to sixteen ; and this may serve to dis- 

 tinguish them from the worm tribe, that never 

 have so many. The animal into which they are 

 converted is always a butterfly or a moth; and 

 these are always distinguished from other flies, by 

 having their wings covered over with a painted 

 dust, which gives them such various beauty. The 

 wings of flies are transparent, as we see in the 

 common flesh fly, while those of beetles are hard, 

 like horn ; from such the wings of a butterfly may 

 be easily distinguished, and words would obscure 

 their differences. 



From hence it appears, that caterpillars, whe- 

 ther in the reptile state, or advanced to their last 

 state of perfection into butterflies, may easily be 

 distinguished from all other insects, being ani- 

 mals peculiarly formed, and also of a peculiar na- 

 ture. The transmutations they undergo are also 

 more numerous than those of any insect hitherto 

 mentioned ; and, in consequence, they have been 

 placed in the third order of changes by Swam- 

 merdam, who has thrown such lights upon this 

 part of natural history. In the second order of 

 changes, mentioned before, we saw the grasshop- 

 per and the earwig, when excluded from the egg, 



47 



