THE CATERPILLAR. 



785 



whatsoever at the approach of winter ; but 

 continue to live in their reptile state through 

 all the severity of the season. They choose 

 themselves some retreat, where they may re- 

 main undisturbed for months together; and 

 tin-re they continue motionless, and as insen- 

 sible as if they were actually dead. Their 

 constitution is such, that food at that time 

 would be useless ; and the cold prevents their 

 making those dissipations which require resto- 

 ration. In general, caterpillars of this kind 

 are found in great numbers together, enclosed 

 in one common web, that covers them alF, and 

 serves to protect them from the injuries of the 

 air. 



Lastly, there are some of the caterpillar 

 kind, whose butterflies live all the winter ; 

 and who, having fluttered about for some 

 part of the latter end of autumn, seek for some 

 retreat during the winter, in order to answer 

 the ends of propagation at the approach of 

 spring. These are often found lifeless and 

 motionless in the hollows of trees or the clefts 

 of timber ; but by being approached to the 

 fire, they recover life and activity, and seem 

 to anticipate the desires of the spring. 



In general, however, whether the animal 

 has subsisted in an egg state, during the win- 

 ter ; or whether as a butterfly, bred from an 

 aurelia, in the beginning of spring ; or a but- 

 terfly that has subsisted during the winter, and 

 lays eggs as soon as the leaves of plants are 

 shot forward ; the whole swarrn of caterpillars 

 are in motion to share the banquet that nature 

 has provided. There is scarcely a plant that 

 has not its own peculiar insects ; and some 

 are knowi> to support several of different kinds. 

 Of these, many are hatched from the egg, at 

 the foot of the tree, and climb up to its leaves 

 for subsistence ; the eggs of others have been 

 glued by the parent butterfly to the leaves ; 

 and they are no sooner excluded from the 

 shell, but they find themselves in the midst of 

 plenty. 



When the caterpillar first bursts from the 

 egg, it is small and feeble; its appetites are in 

 proportion to its size, and it seems to rn<.ke no 

 great co .sumption ; but as k increase* in 

 magnitude, it improves in its appe ites ; so 

 that, in its adult caterpillar state, it is i he most 

 ravenous of all animals whatsoever. A single 

 caterpillar will eat double its own w iglit of 

 leaves in a day, and yet seems no way disor- 



dered by the meal. What would mankind 

 do, if their oxen or their horses were so vora- 

 cious ? 



These voracious habits, with its slow crawl- 

 ing motion, but still more a stinging like that 

 of nettles, which follows upon handling the 

 greatest number of them, make these insects 

 not the most agreeable objects of human 

 curiosity. However, there are many philoso- 

 phers who have spent years in their contem- 

 plation ; and who have not only attended to 

 their habits and labours, but minutely ex- 

 amined their structure and internal conforma- 

 tion. 



The body of the caterpillar, when anatomi- 

 cally considered, is found composed of rings, 

 whose circumference is pretty near circular or 

 oval. They arc generally twelve in number, 

 nnd arc all membranaceous ; by which cater- 

 pillars may be distinguished from many other 

 insects, that nearly resemble them in form. 

 The head of the caterpillar is connected to the 

 first ring by the neck ; that is generally so 

 short and contracted, that it is scarce visible. 

 All the covering of the head in caterpillars 

 seems to consist of a shell; and they have 

 neither upper nor under jaw, for they are both 

 placed rather vertically, and each jaw armed 

 with a large thick tooth, which is singly equal 

 to numbers. With these the animals devour 

 their food in such amazing quantities ; and 

 with these, some of the kind defend themselves 



against their enemies. 



Though the mouth be 



kept shut, the teeth are always uncovered ; 

 and while the insect is in health they are sel- 

 dom without employment. Whatever the 

 caterpillar devours, these teeth serve to chop 

 it into small pieces, and render the parts of 

 the leaf fit for swallowing. Many kinds, while 

 they are yet young v eat only the succulent 

 part of the leaf, and leave all the fibres un- 

 touched ; others, however, attack the whole 

 leaf, and eat it clean away. One may be 

 amused, for a little time, in observing the 

 avidity with which they are seen to feed ; 

 some are seen eating the whole day ; others 

 have their hours of repast ; some choose the 

 night, and others the day. When the cater- 

 pillar attacks a leaf, it places its body in such 

 * maun r that the edge of the leaf shall fall 

 'ictweeu its feet, which keeps it steady while 

 the teet" are employed in cutting it : these 

 fall upon the leaf somewhat in the manner of a 



