;^^^ OF INSECTS IN GENERAL* 



berry, but will live and pi-opagate, though lefs vigorouf- 

 Ij, upon the common lettuce. 



There are other inftances of the attachment of infedls 

 to particular plants, equally conllant with that of the 

 filk worm ; and by means of thefe, the animal is often 

 known from the place where it was found to refide. 

 Hence Linnxus has frequently given them names from 

 the plants upon which they feed ; a ntiethod often falla- 

 cious ; fince, perhaps, the greater number refide indifcri- 

 minately upon feveral plants, and fupport themfelves upon 

 a variety of diffei-ent vegetable food. Some are afferted to 

 be capable of refiding in the human inteflines, and under- 

 going their transformations there ; being eje£led from the 

 ilomach in their winged ftate. 



The moil poifonous herbs afford food to infe^ls equally 

 with thofe that are falubrious : The water-hemlock, 

 which is coniidered as the flrongeft vegetable poifon, is 

 much frequented by many of thofe animals, and feems to 

 conflltute their favourite nourifhu^ient. 



In the different flagcs of their lives, infeds are dlftin- 

 guiflied by various degrees of voracity ; many of them in 

 their larva ftate are mod infatiable : The different fpccies 

 of the butterfly and filk worms are then endowed with 

 teeth, with which they make great havock among leaves, 

 even though of a pretty ftrongconfiflency; their ftomachs in 

 that ftate being capable of difTolving thcfe harder fubfl nces. 

 The fame animal, when a chryi'alis, lofes all appetite for 

 food, and thofe inftruments that were employed in com- 

 minuting it. The teeth are depofited with its firll cover- 

 ing ; and the inner coats of the ftomach are voided, ic 

 is faid, along with the excrements, a fhort while before 

 the firft transformation *. After being liberated from 



iheii- 



* Memoir pour fcrvir rhift. des infcifle! par M. dc Reaumur. 



