162 THE CATERPILLAR KIND. 



to banish solitude from our walks, and to fill up our idle intervals 

 with the most pleasing speculations. The butterfly makes one 

 of the principal ornaments of oriental poetry ; but in those coun- 

 tries the insect is larger and more beautiful than with us. 



The beauties of the fly may therefore very well excite our 

 curiosity to examine the reptile. But we are still more strongly 

 attached to this tribe, from the usefulness of one of the number 

 The silk-worm is, perhaps, the most serviceable of all other ani- 

 mals ; since, from its labours, and the manufacture attending it, 

 near a third part of the world are clothed, adorned, and sup- 

 ported. 



Caterpillars may be easily distinguished from worms or mag- 

 gots, by the number of their feet, and by their producing but- 

 terflies or moths. When the sun calls up vegetation, and vivi- 

 fies the various eggs of insects, the caterpillars are the first that 

 are seen, upon almost every vegetable and tree, eating its leaves, 

 and preparing for a state of greater perfection. They have feet 

 both before and behind, which not only enable them to move 

 forward by a sort of steps made by their fore and hinder parts, 

 but also to climb up vegetables, and to stretch themselves out 

 from the boughs and stalks, to reach their food at a distance. 

 All of this class have from eight feet, at the least, to sixteen ; 

 and this may serve to distinguish them from the worm tribe, that 

 never have so many. The animal into which they are converted 

 is always a butterfly or a moth ; and these are always distin- 

 guished from other flies, by having their wings covered over 

 with a painted dust, which gives them such various beauty. 

 The wings of flies are transparent, as we see in the common 

 flesh fly, while those of beetles are hard, like horn ; from such 

 the wings of a butterfly may be easily distinguished, and words 

 would obscure their differences. 



From hence it appears, that caterpillars, whether in the rep- 

 tile state, or advanced to their last state of perfection into but- 

 terflies, may easily be distinguished from all other insects, being 

 animals peculiarly formed, and also of a peculiar nature. The 

 transmutations they undergo are also more numerous than those 

 of other insects ; for, when they are excluded from the egg, they 

 assume the form of a small caterpillar, which feeds and grows 

 larger every day, often changing its skin, but still preserving its 

 form. When the animal has come to a certain magnitude in 

 this state, it discontinues eating, makes itself a covering or husk, 

 in which it remains wrapped up, seemingly without life or mo- 

 tion ; and after having for some time continued in this state, it 

 once more bursts its confinement, and comes forth a butterfly. 

 Thus we see this animal put on no less than three different ap- 

 pearances from the time it is first excluded from the egg. Il 



