OF NATURAL HISTORY. 93 



naked, and often a tranfparent membrane. The feelers of the pa~ 

 pilio, or butterfly, are thickeft at their extremity, and often termi- 

 nate in a kind of capitulum, or head. Their wings, when fitting, 

 or at reft, are eredt, their extremities join each other above the bo- 

 dy, and the animals fly about, in queft of food and of their mates, 

 during the day. — The moths are divided into two genera, the one 

 csW&ifphiyix, or hazuk rnoth, and the oiher pha/aena, or moth. The 

 feelers of thc/phinx are thicker in the middle than at the extremi- 

 ties, and their form, in fome meafure, refembles that of a prifm. 

 The wings are, in general, defleQed, their outer margins declining 

 toward the fides. They fly about early in the morning, and after 

 fun-fet ; and, by means of their probofcis, like the butterflies, they 

 fuck the juices of plants. — The phalaena, or moth : The feelers of 

 this genus are fetaceous, and taper from the bafe to the point. When 

 at reft, their wings are commonly deflected ; and they fly during 

 the night. Previous to their transformation, the caterpillars of the 

 whole of this genus fpin webs for covering and protecting the ani- 

 mals while in the chryfalis ftate. From a fpecies of this tribe 

 mankind have derived one of the greateft articles of luxury and 

 of commerce which now exifts in the world. That feemingly con- 

 temptible, that difgufting reptile known by the appellation of the 

 Jilk-ivorm, in its paflage from the caterpillar to the chryfalis ftate, 

 produces thofe fplendid materials which adorn the thrones of Prin- 

 ces, and add dignity and lultre to female beauty *. 



The wings of the Jburth order, diftinguifhed by the name of neu- 

 roptera, are membranaceous, naked, and fo interfperfed with delicate 

 veins, that they have the appearance of beautiful net-work. Their 

 tail has no fling; but that of the male is frequently furnlfhed with 

 a kind of forceps or pincers. To this order belongs the libel/a, or 



(Jra^on- 



• See Chap. XI. concerning the Transformation of Animals. 



