THE BUTTERFLY. 453 



Various Infects prey upon the butterfly, or hailen the 

 approach of its diflclution. A certain fpecies of ily 

 makes its way into its body, while yet a worm, and 

 there depofits its eggs, and, although this worm continues 

 to live, and be metamorphofed into a chryfalid, no but- 

 terfly is produced from it , thofe internal parts that were 

 eflential to its prefervation, being confumed by the larvae 

 of thfe fly. From the great fecundity and variety of the 

 infe£ls of this genus, they probably w^ould foon cover 

 the furface of the earth, did not nature provide a bar to 

 their increafe, by multiplying their enemies: hence they 

 are deftiaed to become the food of a great number of a- 

 nimals of various kinds, fome of which fwallow theoi 

 entirely, others macerate their bodies ; while many ac- 

 complilh their deftiuftion by gradually fucking their 

 juices. A fingle pair of fparrows, in order to fupply 

 themfelves and their young, may defl;roy, as is fuppofed, 

 three thoufand, three hundred andjixty butterflies in one 

 weekf. 



The vaft number of animals belonging to this genus, 

 and the variety and richnefs of their colouring, afford 

 ample fcope to the painter for the exercife of his art. 

 It was chiefly of thefe inlefls that Madame Mariamne 

 exhibited thofe exquiiite drawings that conftitute the pe- 

 culiar merit of her work. It is principally in Ame- 

 ricuy the Kaft Indiesy and China, that thofe fpecies are 

 found, which conftitute the ornament of our collections. 

 From the policy of the latter country, the ladies are cir- 

 eumfcribed in their anmfements ; there they domelli- 

 3 L 3 cate 



f Vide a General Trestife on Hufbandry, &c. by Mr Bradely, Profef- 

 for of Botany in Cambridge, 1734. 



