OF NATURAL HISTORY. ^^ 



regular fragments of dried wood. Thefe fragments the anw 

 mal has the addrefs to unite together, and to form of them ^ 

 kind of a box which covers and defends its whole body. It 

 accomplifhes this purpofe by mpiftening, for fome moment?, 

 the pieces of \yood in its mouth, and then attaches them to 

 each other by a glutinous fubftance. Of this mixture the 

 caterpillar forms a cod, the folidity of which is nearly equal 

 to that of wood. 



The mofi: folitary of all infe£ts are thofe who live in the 

 internal parts of fruits. Many of them undergo their meta- 

 morphofis in the fruit itfelf, which affords them both nourifh-. 

 ment and a fafe retreat. They dig cavities in the fruit, 

 which fome of them either line with filk, or fpin cods. 

 Others leave the fruit, and retire to be transformed in the. 

 earth. 



The metamorphofis of infe£ls has been regarded as a fud^ 

 den operation, becaufe they often burft their fhell or filky_ 

 covering quickly, and immediately appear furnifhed with 

 wings. But, by more attentive pbfervation, it has been dif- 

 covered that the transformation of caterpillars is a gradual 

 procefs from the moment the animals are hatched till they 

 arrive at a ftate of perfe<Stion. Why, it may be alked, do 

 caterpillars fo frequently ca{| their Ikins ? The new fkin, 

 and other organs, were lodged under the old ones, as in fo 

 many tubes or cafes, and the animal retires from thefe cafes, 

 becaufe they have become too ftrait. The reality of thefe 

 encafements has been demonflrated by a fimple experiment. 

 When about to molt or caft its fkin, if the foremoft legs of a 

 caterpillar are cut off, the animal comes out of the old fkin 

 deprived of thefe legs. From this fa£l, Reaumur conje6tur- 

 ed, that the chryfalis might be thus encafed, and concealed 

 under the laft Ikin of the caterpillar. He difcovered that the 

 chryfalis, or rather the butterfly itfelf, was inclofed in the 

 body of the caterpillar. The probofcis, the antenae, the 



