Microscopical Essays. 



vifible triumph; in each of thefe wounds the little fly had 

 depofited an egg. I took the caterpillar home with me, to ob- 

 ferve the prog re Is of the eggs which were thus placed in it's body, 

 taking care to give it a frelh fupply of leaves from time to time ; 

 it recovered to all appearance in a few hours from the wounds it 

 had received, and from that time, for the fpace of four or five 

 days, feemed to live comfortably, feeding voracioufly. The 

 eggs were all hatched into fmall oblong voracious worms, which 

 fed from the moment of it's appearance on the flefh of the cater- 

 pillar, in whofe body they were inclofed, and leemingly without 

 wounding the organs of refpiration or digeftion ; and when they 

 had arrived at their full growth, they eat their way out of the 

 fides of the animal, at the fame time deftroying it. The cater- 

 pillar thus attacked by the larva of the ichneumon never efcapes,. 

 it's deftruction is infallible ; but then it's life is not taken away at 

 once ; the larva, while it is feeding thereon, knows how to fpare 

 the parts which are eflential to its life, becaufe its own is at that 

 time tied up in that of the caterpillar. No butterfly is produced 

 from it; the worms that feed on the wretched creature are no 

 fooner out of it's body, than every one fpins it's own web, and 

 under this they pafs the ftate of reft neceffary to introduce them 

 to their winged form/' * 



Of this Grange fcene it is difficult for us to form a proper 

 judgment ; we are unacquainted with the organs of the caterpillar, 

 ignorant of the nature of it's fenfations, and therefore we cannot 

 be allured what may be the effe&s of that which we fee it fuller. 

 " It is wifdom to fuppofe we are ignorant, while we know the 

 Creator cannot be cruel." From levelation we learn, that mart 



is, 



* Infpedor, No, 64. 



