OF INSECTS IN GENERAI™ 351 



their laft ftate of confinement, the butterflies are far in- 

 ferior in voracity and in the powers of digeftion ; their 

 food being then a thin liquid fubllance collected from 

 the kaves of plants, and devoured only in fmall quantity. 



The fame is the cafe with the different fpecies of lo- 

 Guds ; fome of which in their larva ftate are the moil vo- 

 racious of all animals, and defolate entire provinces. It 

 is not till they arrive at their winged and more perfe£t 

 form, that their depredations ceafe, and mankind are re- 

 lieved from one of the heavieft calamities which fall up- 

 on the human race in the fultry climates. It is by in" 

 fedls in their larva ftate that the roots of corn are pef 

 forated and devoured in more northerly countries. If 

 the feafon prove cold and wet, they continue long under 

 ground in that ftate of voracious vermine 5 and the crop, 

 in the mean time, is fo completely ate away, that in fane 

 inftances, fcarcely a tenth ftalk fui^vives their depreda-. 

 tions. In a more genial fpring, thefe animals continue 

 for a Ihorter fpace in their aureiia ftate j and the damage 

 done by them is proportionably lefs j their deftructive 

 operations belov/ ceafing as foon as they are enabled by 

 their wings to rife into the air, and go in queft of fufte- 

 nance in another element. 



Infefts, even in their winged ftate, all take food in a 

 greater or leffer quantity ; it feems, however, to be of a 

 more delicate nature, being often only the liquid fub- 

 fiances that exude from vegetables. Some are faid, in- 

 deed, to be fo ftiort-lived, that they do not require any 

 fuftenance, and have, as it is alTerted, no mouths : Of 

 this kind are the fphemera, the may-fly, and the gad- 

 fly- This fa6l, however, would require a more accurate 

 decree of examination, and more fatisfadlory proof than 



