CHAP. V. THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 83 



being, from a dew that in the spring falls upon the leaves 

 of trees ; and that some 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 dtews 

 being thickened and condensed, are by the sun's genera- 

 tive heat, most of them, hatched, and in three days 

 made living creatures: 1 and these of several shapes and 

 colours; some being hard and tough, some smooth and 

 are horned in their head, some in their tail, some have 

 soft ; some none ; some have hair, some none : some 

 have sixteen feet, some less, and some have none: 

 but (as our Topsel hath with great diligence ^ Mg Histor 

 observed) those which have none, move upon of Serpents, 

 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 cater- 

 pillars. 3 And some affirm, that every plant has its par- 

 ticular fly or caterpillar, which it breeds and feeds. I 

 have seen, and may therefore affirm it, a green caterpillar, 

 cr 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 knaws a bone : it lived thus, five or 

 six days, and thrived, and changed the colour two or three 



()) The doctrine of spontaneou* or equivocal generation is now universally 

 exploded ; and all the phenomena that seem to support it arc accounted for on 

 other principles. Sec Derliam's Phyi. Theol. Chap. IS, and the authorities 

 there cited. As also Mr. Ray's H'itdom of God manifested in the works of 

 the Creation, 2Q8, and Franc. Kedi, De Gen. Insect. 



(2) Whoever is desirous of knowing more of Caterpillars, and of the several 

 flies produced by them, may consult Joannes Gocdartius DC Intectis, with the 

 Appendix of Dr. Lister, Land. 8vo. 1685. 



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