CHAP. v. THE FOURTH DAY. 79 



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 leaves that gave them life and 

 shape give them a particular feeding and nourishment, and 

 that upon them they usually abide; yet he observes that this 

 is called a pilgrim, or palmer-worm, for his very wandering 

 life and various food : not contenting himself, as others do, with 

 any one certain place for his abode, nor any certain kind of 

 "herb or flower for his feeding, but will boldly and disorderly 

 wander up and down, and not endure to be kept to a diet, or 

 fixed to a particular place. 



Nay, the very colours of caterpillars are, as one has observed, 

 very elegant and beautiful. I shall, for a taste of the rest, 

 describe one of them; which I will, .some time the next month, 

 show you feeding on a willow-tree; and you shall find him 

 punctually to answer this very description : his lips and mouth 

 somewhat yellow; his eyes black as jet; his forehead purple; 

 his feet and hinder parts green ; his tail two-forked and black ; 

 the whole body stained with a kind of red spots, which run 

 along the neck and shoulder-blade, not unlike the form of St. 

 Andrew's cross, or the letter X> made thus cross-wise, and a 

 white line drawn down his back to his tail; all which add much 

 beauty to his whole body. And it is to me observable, that at 

 a fixed age this caterpillar gives over to eat, and towards winter 

 comes to be covered over with a strange shell or crust, called 

 an aurelia: and so lives a kind of dead life, without eating, all 

 the winter ; and, as others of several kinds turn to be several 

 kinds of flies and vermin the spring following, so this cater- 

 pillar then turns to be a painted butterfly. 



Come, come, my scholar, you see the river stops our morning 



