492 



HISTORY OF INSECTS. 



themselves some retreat, where they may re- 

 main undisturbed lor months together ; arid 

 there they continue motionless, and as insensi- 

 ble as if they were actually dead. Their con- 

 stitution is such, that food at that time would 

 be useless ; and the cold prevents their mak- 

 ing those dissipations which require restora- 

 tion. In general, caterpillars of this kind 

 are found in great numbers together, inclosed 

 in one common web, that covers them all, 

 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 re- 

 cover 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 winter ; 

 or whether as a butterfly, bred from an aurelia, 

 in the beginning of spring ; or a butterfly that 

 has subsisted during the winter, and lays eggs 

 as soon as the leaves of plants are shot for- 

 ward ; the whole swarm 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 

 known 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 make 

 no great consumption ; but as it increases in 

 magnitude, it improves in its appetites ; so 

 that, in its adult caterpillar state, it is the 

 most ravenous of all animals whatsoever. A 

 single caterpillar will eat double its own weight 

 of leaves in a day, and yet seems no way dis- 

 ordered by the meal. What would mankind do, 

 ii their oxen or their horses were so voracious? 



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 

 riot the most agreeable objects of human curi- 

 osity. However, there are many philosophers 

 who have spent years in their contemplation ; 

 and who have not only attended to their habits 

 and. labours, but minutely examined their 

 structure and internal conformation. 



The body of the caterpillar, when anatomi- 



cally considered, is found composed of rings, 

 whose circumference is pretty near circular or 

 oval. They are generally twelve in number, 

 and are 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 iti caterpillars 

 seems to consist of a shell ; and they have nei- 

 ther 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 ani- 

 mals devour their food in such amazing 

 quantities ; and with these, some of the 

 kind defend themselves against their ene- 

 mies. Though the mouth be kept, shut, 

 the teeth are always uncovered ; and while 

 the insect is in health they are seldom with- 

 out 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, eat only the succulent part of the leaf, 

 and leave all the fibres untouched ; 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 teed ; some are seen 

 eating the whole day ; others have their hours 

 of repast ; some choose the night, and others 

 the day. When the caterpillar attacks a leaf, 

 it places its body in such a manner that the 

 edge of the leaf shall fall between its feet, 

 which keeps it steady while the teeth are em- 

 ployed in cutting it : these fall upon the leaf 

 somewhat in the manner of a pair of gardener's 

 shears ; and every morsel is swallowed as soon 

 as cut. Some caterpillars feed upon leaves 

 so very narrow, that they are not broader than 

 their mouths ; in this case the animal is seen 

 to devour it from the point, as we would eat 

 a radish. 



As there are various kinds of caterpillars, 

 the number of their feet are various ; some 

 having eight, and some sixteen. Of these feet 

 the six foremost are covered with a sort of 

 shining gristle ; and are therefore called the 

 shelly legs. The hindmost feet, whatever be 

 their number, are soft and flexible, and are 

 called membranaceous. Caterpillars also, with 

 regard to their external figure, are either 

 smooth or hairy. The skin of the first kind 

 is soft to the touch, or hard like shagreen ; the 

 skin of the latter is hairy, and as it were 

 thorny ; and generally, if handled, stings like 

 nettles. Some of them even cause this sting- 

 ing pain if but approached too nearly. 



Caterpillars, in general, have six small 

 black spots placed on the circumference of tho 



