TRANSFORMATION OP INSECTS. 2123 



His mighty work who speaks, and it is done. 

 Th' Invisible in things scarce seen revealed ; 

 To whom an atom is an ample field. Cowpeu. 



The greater part of insects are winged. Those which 

 are not winged, continue, during their whole existence, of 

 the same form and structure as at birth. Those which are 

 winged undergo certain changes of form, which are called 

 their tnetamor' phases. They differ in number in different 

 kinds of insects. For an example we may take the tribe of 

 the Butterfly. From the egg of this insect is hatched an 

 animal differing entirely from its parent. Its body is long 

 and cylindrical, and divided into numerous rings. It is pro- 

 vided with a large number of very short legs, with jaws, and 

 with several small eyes. It is familiarly known to us by the 

 name of caterpillar. It lives in this state a considerable 

 time, subsisting upon such food as is adapted to its nature. 

 At length it casts off its skin, and appears in another form 

 without limbs. It ceases to feed or to move. It seems to be 

 totally without life. This is called the clirys'alis. After a 

 while, by examining it closely, the imperfect shape of a but- 

 terfly may be distinguished through its surface ; and finally 

 the envelope is broken and the animal escapes. Its wings 

 are at first short, weak, and moist, but they soon unfold to a 

 greater size, and become strong ; and the insect is in a state 

 to fly. It has now six long legs, a spiral trunk, two antennce, 

 and eyes diflering entirely from those of the caterpillar. In 

 short, it is an animal totally different, delighting us by the 

 beauty of its spots and the variety of its colours ; and yet 

 these wonderful changes are only the successive unfolding 

 of parts contained one within another in the original em'bryo. 



In the first state the animal is called the larva; in the se- 

 cond the cJiri/salis or nympha; and the third is called the 

 perfect state. A considerable portion of the insect tribes 

 pass through these three changes of existence. But many 

 only undergo what is called a demi-metamorphosis. Their 

 larva resembles the perfect insect, except that it has no wings. 

 And the only change they experience is, that in the nymph 

 state they have the rudiments of wings, which finally on 

 casting their skins, are changed into complete ones. Such 

 are grasshoppers and many others. 

 When about to pass into the chrysalis state, which is a 



