258 THE SCHOOL OF REAUMUR 



account of the compound eye than Reaumur's, but is not 

 nearly so full in respect to the wings, antennse, and 

 proboscis. E^aumur's memoir is therefore the founda- 

 tion of nearly all our knowledge concerning the external 

 structure of a moth or butterfly. The scales of the 

 wings, overlapping like the slates of a roof, and in- 

 serted by their points into regular rows of holes, the 

 different kinds of Lepidopterous antennae, and the 

 construction of the sucking proboscis, are described with 

 great distinctness and spirit. So much has been done 

 since 1734 to elucidate these interesting structures that 

 it would be unfair to dwell upon the omissions inevitable 

 in a first study. Happily there is very little to correct 

 in these descriptions, and whatever Reaumur tells us 

 is easily remembered. 



The Transformations of Moths 



The second half of Volume I (Memoirs 8-14), is 

 chiefly occupied with the change of the caterpillar into a 

 chrysalis, and the change of the chrysalis into a moth. 

 These luminous descriptions are now reproduced with 

 cruel abridgement in all popular works which treat of 

 insect-transformations. It is a pity that so few readers 

 take the trouble to make themselves acquainted with 

 the original narrative, which is infinitely more interest- 

 ing than any of the abstracts. The only important 

 additions which naturalists have made to Reaumur's 

 account of the transformations of Lepidoptera relate 

 to the internal changes, and these demand a minute 

 acquaintance with insect anatomy. 



The first memoir of the second volume shows that the 

 duration of the different stages of an insect's life may be 

 greatly affected by temperature. Thus a caterpillar 

 which is hatched out from the egg in July may pass the 



