MARIA SIBILLA MEBI.VN. 
25 
that first insi)ircd her Trith the desire of crossing 
the Atlantic for the purpose of delineating them as 
they appeared in their native haunts and localities. 
The beauty of the insect tribes, especially, so far 
surpassed what she had been accustomed to con- 
template, that her partiality for them was fully 
confirmed, and she detennined to enjoy the pleasm-e 
of observing them in their living state. What 
tended not a little to confirm her in this design, 
was observing how much was wanting to complete 
the natural history, even of the most common and 
interesting lands ; almost nothing being knoivn of 
any of them in the states in which they exist before 
acquiring their final form. The difllculty of pre- 
serving caterpillars and other larvm, sufficiently 
accoimts for the small number of these to be found 
in cabinets, even at the present day ; and the most 
obvious method of making up for this deficiency is 
by coloured drawings taken from living examples. 
The desire of supplying this important desideratum 
in regard to some of the more remarkable insects of 
America, as well as of determining the nature of 
their metamorphosis and kind of food, had more 
influence in leading Madam Merian to visit that 
country, than a wish to delineate the perfect insects, 
many of which were already well known in Europe 
from preserved specimens. 
She accordingly made arrangements for leaving 
Europe, but did not finally set sail till the year 
1 699, taking one of her daughters along with her. 
“ It was a kind of phenomenon,” says Reaumur, 
