346 OF INSECTS Iff GENERAL. 
dergoing a few convulfive ftruggles, the Hein which co- 
vered it, and gave it the form of a worm, burfts, and the 
animal within makes its appearance ; at firft it is foftand 
tender, and covered with a vifeous fluid which afeends 
from the body, but W T hich afterwards hardens into that 
cruflaceous fliell in which all the members are again 
locked up, till they acquire greater firmnefs and {lability. 
This vifeous fluid, which is generally feen coloured and 
opaque in its cruflaceous Hate, is at firft tranfparent, 
and through it the wings, limbs, and antennae of the 
butterfly, are clearly perceptible. M. de Rcaumure col- 
lected feveral hundreds of tliefe worms before their trans- 
formation, and placed them together upon a table, where 
he had many opportunities of examining them as they 
pafftd from the one ftate to the other: It was then that 
he difti nelly perceived all the different members of the 
butterfly, before the chryfalis had affumed its hard and 
apparently inanimate ftate*. 
After having remained for fome time in this torpid 
ftate of a nymphe, chryfalis, or pupa, the limbs of the ani- 
mal acquire fufficient ftrength to perform their functions; 
and it employs them in breaking open the fecond prifon. 
Oh tbisevenr all the members are fetat liberty, and inftant- 
ly alfume that pollure and arrangement which is moft 
fuited to the new fun&ions with which they are now to 
be charged : By tliefe different proceffes does the butter- 
fly arrive at that ftate in which it poffelfes all the facul- 
ties which are enjoyed by the moft perfeft of its kind. 
All infefts do not undergo the fame number of trans- 
formations before they arrive at the winged ftate. 
« Some 
* Memoires pour Servir a 1 ’hift. des uifcftes, tom. i. p. 354* 
