The Compleat ^Angler 



kinds of them are from a dew left upon herbs or flowers ; and others, 

 from a dew left upon coleworts or cabbages : all which kinds of dews 

 being thickened and condensed, are by the sun's generative heat most 

 of them hatched, and in three days made living creatures ; and these 

 of several shapes and colours ; some being hard and tough, some 

 smooth and soft ; some are horned in their head, some in their tail, 

 some have none ; some have hair, some none ; some have sixteen 

 feet, some less, and some have none ; but (as our Topsel hath with 

 great diligence observed) those which have none move upon the 

 earth, or upon broad leaves, their motion being not unlike to the 

 waves of the sea. Some of them, he also observes, to be bred of the 

 eggs of other caterpillars, and that those in their time turn to be 

 butterflies ; and again, that their eggs turn the following year to be 

 caterpillars. And some affirm that every plant has his particular fly 

 or caterpillar, which it breeds and feeds. I have seen, and may 

 therefore affirm it, a green caterpillar or worm, as big as a small 

 peascod, which had fourteen legs, eight on the belly, four under the 

 neck, and two near the tail. It was found on a hedge of privet, and 

 was taken thence and put into a large box, and a little branch or two 

 of privet put to it, on which I saw it feed as sharply as a dog gnaws 

 a bone ; it lived thus five or six days, and thrived and changed the 

 colour two or three times ; but by some neglect in the keeper of it, 

 it then died, and did not turn to a fly : but if it had lived, it had 

 doubtless turned to one of those flies that some call flies of prey, 

 which those that walk by the rivers may, in summer, see fasten on 

 smaller flies, and, I think, make them their food. And 'tis observ- 

 able, that as there be these flies of prey, which be very large, so 

 there be others, very little, created, I think, only to feed them, and 

 breed out of I know not what ; whose life, they say, nature intended 

 not to exceed an hour : and yet that life is thus made shorter by other 

 flies, or by accident. 



It is needless to tell you what the curious searchers into nature's 

 productions have observed of these worms and flies : but yet I shall 

 tell you what Aldrovandus, our Topsel, and others say of the 

 palmer-worm, or caterpillar, that whereas others content themselves 

 to feed on particular herbs or leaves (for most think those very 



no 



