496 



THE REASON WHY IN NATURAL HISTORY. 



72. Why does the glow-worm emit a light t 

 Because the female glow-worm is without 



wings, but the male is a winged insect. The 

 female, therefore, is endowed with the power of 

 displaying a phosphorescent light. The light is 

 only visible by night, but it is, nevertheless, 

 beautifully adapted for the purpose stated, 

 because the male is a night-flying insect, and 

 never ventures abroad by day. 



There exists some difference of opinion between natural- 

 ists upon the uses of the light of a glow-worm; there are 

 some who doubt that it is exhibited to attract the flying in- 

 sect. The objectors, however, offer no explanation of the 

 luminous properties of the worm. Sir Charles Bell says the 

 preponderance of the argument is decidedly in favor of the 

 explanation we have given. 



73. Why have bees stings t 



Because they gather and store up honey which 

 would constantly attract other insects, and the 

 bees would be robbed of their food but for the 

 sting, which is given to them for protection. 



74. Why have flies fine hairs growing at the ex- 

 tremities of their legs ? 



Because they require to cleanse their bodies 

 and wings and to free them from particles of 

 dust. As they cannot turn their heads for this 

 purpose, they have hairy feet which serve as 

 brushes and by which any part of their bodies 

 can be reached and cleaned. 



75. Why do the eggs of butterflies lie dormant 

 during the winter ? 



Because the coldness of the winter would be 

 fatal to the life of the young insects ; and the 

 absence of vegetation would leave the caterpillars 

 to perish of starvation, if they were developed 

 during the winter months. 



76. Why do caterpillars appear in the spring f 

 Because the increasing warmth of the sun 



develops the living embryo, at the same time 

 that it develops the vegetable germ. The 

 warmth, therefore, that calls the caterpillar from 

 its embryo sleep, also kindles the germinating 

 power of the vegetable upon which it is destined 

 to feed. The worm awakes and finds the bounti- 

 ful taoie of nature spread for it. 



77. Why does the caterpillar eat voraciously t 

 Because it grows rapidly, and a large amount 



O* \egetabie matter is necessary to supply the 

 rapid growth of its animal substance. Caterpil- 



lars in the course of a month devour 60,000 

 times their own weight of aliment. 



78. Why do caterpillars pass into the state oftfu 

 chrysalis ? 



Because they are thereby prepared for the 

 new existence which they are about to enjoy ; 

 new organs must be perfected in them to adapt 

 them to the altered conditions of their lives. 



Because, also, in the transformation of their 

 bodies, differing materially from the laws of ex- 

 istence that pertain to other creatures, the Creator 

 affords another illustration of his Omnipotence. 



Because, also, during the stage that the insect 

 sleeps in the chrysalis, the flowers and their 

 sweet juices, upon which the fly is to feed, are 

 being prepared for it, just as, when it was sleep- 

 ing in the egg, the green food was being pre- 

 pared for the caterpillar. When, therefore, the 

 beautiful fly spreads its silken wings, it finds a 

 second time that, while it has slept, its meal has 

 been prepared, and it now flies away joyously to 

 feed upon the milk and honey of beautiful 

 flowers which, at the time it passed into the 

 chrysalis, had not yet unfolded their petals. 



Paley observes, that ' ' the metamorphosis of insects from 

 grubs into moths and flies is an astonishing process. A 

 hairy caterpillar is transformed into a butterfly. Observe 

 the change. We have four beautiful wings where there 

 were none before; a tubular proboscis, in the place of a 

 mouth with jaws and teeth; six long legs, instead of four- 

 teen feet. In another case, we see a white, smooth, soft 

 worm, turned into a black, hard, crustaceous beetle, with 

 gauze wings. These, as I said, are astonishing processes, 

 and must require, as it should seem, a proportionably arti- 

 ficial apparatus. The hypothesis which appears to me 

 most probable is, that in the grub there exists at the same 

 time three animals, one within another, all nourished by the 

 same digestion, and by a communicating circulation, but in 

 different stages of maturity. The latest discoveries made 

 by naturalists seem to favor this supposition. The insect, 

 already equipped with wings, is descried under the mem- 

 branes both of the worm and nymph. In some species, the 

 proboscis, the antennae, the limbs and wings of the fly, 

 have been observed to be folded up within the body of the 

 caterpillar; and with such nicety as to occupy a small space 

 only under the two first wings. This being so, the outer- 

 most animal, which, besides its own proper character, 

 serves as an integument to the other two, being the farthest 

 advanced, dies, as we suppose, and drops off first. The 

 second, the pupa or chrysalis, then offers itself to observa- 

 ton. This also, in its turn, dies; its dead and brittle husk 

 falls to pieces, and makes way for the appearance of the fly 

 or moth. Now, if this be the case, or indeed whatever ex- 

 plication be adopted, we have a prospective contrivance of 

 the most curious kind; we have organizations three deep; 

 yet a vascular system, which supplies nutrition, growth, 

 and life, to all of them together." 



