746 



A HISTORY OF 



remaining invariably the same, from their 

 birth to their dissolution. 



The SECOND ORDER of insects consists of 

 such as have wings ; but which, when pro- 

 duced from the egg, have those wings cased 

 up in such a manner as not to appear. This 

 casing up of the wing, however, does not pre- 

 vent the animal's runriing,leaping,and moving 

 with its natural celerity ; but when the case 

 bursts, and the wings have a power of ex- 

 panding, all the animal's motions become 

 more extensive, and the animal arrives at full 

 perfection. Thus the grasshopper, the dragon- 

 fly, and the ear-wig, have their wings at first 

 bound down; but when the skin that, like a 

 pair of stays, kept them confined, bursts, 

 they are then expanded, and the animal pur- 

 sues the purposes for which it was produced. 



The THIRD ORDER of insects is of the moth 

 and butterfly kind. These all have four 

 wings, each covered with a mealy substance 

 of various colours, which when handled comes 

 off upon the fingers; and, if examined by the 

 microscope, will appear like scales, with 

 which the wing is nicely embroidered all 

 over. These insects also are produced in a 

 manner peculiar to themselves. They are 

 first hatched from an egg, from whence pro- 

 ceeds a caterpillar that eats, and often casts 

 its skin ; the caterpillar having divested itself 

 for the last time, assumes a new covering, 

 which is called a chrysalis, or the cone in the 

 silk-worm, in which it continues hidden till 

 it comes forth a perfect moth, or butterfly. 



The FOURTH ORDER is of those "winged in- 

 sects which come from a wor-m instead of a 

 caterpillar,and yet go through changes similar 



to those which moths and butterflies are seen 

 to undergo. They are first excluded from 

 the egg as a worm, and then become a chry- 

 salis ; in some, their wings and legs are seen; 

 in others, the animal is quite detached from 

 the cone in which it is concealed ; but all at 

 length break their prison, and come out per- 

 fect winged animals; some furnished with 

 two wings and some with four. The wings 

 of all these differ from those of the butterfly 

 and moth kind, by not having the mealy 

 scales which are ever found on the wings of 

 the former. In this class we may place the 

 numerous tribes of gnats, beetles, bees, and 

 flies. 



To these I will add, as a FIFTH ORDER, a 

 numerous tribe lately discovered, to which 

 naturalists have given the name of Zoophytes. 

 These do not go through the ordinary forms 

 of generation, but may be propagated by dis- 

 section. Some of these, though cut into a 

 hundred parts, still retain life in each, and 

 are endued with such a vivacious principle, 

 that every part will in a short time become a 

 perfect animal. They seem a set of creatures 

 placed between animals and vegetables, and 

 make the shade that connects Animated and 

 Insensible Nature. To this class belong the 

 polypus, the earth-worm, and all the varieties 

 of the sea-nettle. 



Having thus given a general distribution 

 of insects, I will proceed to describe each 

 class in the order I have mentioned them ; 

 beginning with insects without wings, as they 

 more nearly resemble the higher ranks of 

 nature, as well in their habits as their con- 

 formation. 



CHAPTER CLXVIII. 



OF INSECTS WITHOUT WINGS. 



EVERY moment's observation furnishes us 

 with instances of insects without wings; but 

 the difficulty is to distinguish those which are 

 condemned continually to lead reptile lives, 

 from such as only wait the happy moment of 

 transmutation. For this, nothing but a long 



and intimate acquaintance will suffice ; but, 

 in general, all animals resembling the flea, the 

 louse, the spider, the bug, the wood-louse, 

 the water-louse, and the scorpion, never ac- 

 quire wings, but are produced from the egg in 

 that form which they never change afterwards. 



