NATURAL HISTORY. 
187 
worm forms its fepulchre ! Refleft on this, 
ve potentates of the earth ; and acknow- 
ledge, with humble gratitude, your debt to 
the filkworm ; and divert: yourfelves of the 
vain arrogance you affume when arrayed in 
the robes of majefly ! 
When the cryfalid ftate begins, the infecl 
proceeds to fpin its filk, in whicli it is buried, 
l.ike the pierced iron plates of a wire-draw- 
er, this worm produces the thread through 
a pair of holes in an inrtrument placed under 
its mouth. Two drops of gum ferve it as 
dirtaffs, fupplyingthe fubrtance of which fhe 
fpins the thread ; for the gum is no fooner in 
the air, than it lofes its Iluidity, and changes 
to the filk, in the due fize of which the 
worm is never deceived. She always pro- 
portions her thread to the weight of her bo- 
dy. 'I'he cone of filk being formed, and o- 
pened, is found to confiit of the worm, 
changed to a nymph, and buried in its cen- 
tre, or down or flue, which is the bad part 
of the filk, and the perfeft part, all ranged 
with great compadnefs and propriety. It 
may be a matter of wonder how fo fmall a 
moth as this little w'orm mufl necelfarlly pro- 
duce, flrould be able toburfl the million fold 
barriers of her place of regeneration. 
'i he fame omnifeient being who taught it 
how to ereft this place ci'roll, taught it, at 
the fame, time, to find an eafy accefs to her 
aerial exifleiice. The new .uiiinal, with its 
horns, bead, and leet, directs its efl'orts to 
that 
