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except a few evergreens, trees, during winter, are entirely stripped of their 
leaves. Instead of the pleasant emotions excited by the variety of figures, 
movements, colours, and fragrance of the leaves, flowers, and fruit, during 
the spring and summer, nothing is exhibited in winter but the bare stems 
and branches. In this state, the trees of the forest have a lugubrious 
appearance, and remind us of death and of skeletons. Very different are 
the emotions we feel in the spring, when the buds begin to burst, and the 
leaves to expand. When summer approaches, another beautiful change 
takes place. The flowers, with all their splendour of colours, and sweetness 
of flavours, are then highly delightful to our senses. After performing the 
office of cherishing and protecting the tender fruit for some time, the flowers 
t 
drop off, and a new change is exhibited. When the flowers fall, the young 
fruits appear, and gradually grow to maturity, perpetually presenting varie¬ 
ties in their magnitude, colour, odour, and flavour. When the fruit or 
seeds are fully ripe, they are gathered for the use of man, drop down upon 
the earth, or are devoured by birds and other animals. After this change 
happens, to which all the others were only preparatory, the leaves begin to 
shed, winter commences, and the same series of metamorphoses go on dur¬ 
ing the existence of the plant.” 
“ By some the metamorphosis of insects has been regarded as a sudden 
operation, because they often burst their shell or silky covering quickly, and 
immediately appear furnished with wings. But, by more attentive observa¬ 
tion, it has been discovered that the transformation of caterpillars is a gra¬ 
dual process from the moment the animals are hatched till they arrive at a 
state of perfection. Why, it may be asked, do caterpillars so frequently 
cast their skins? The new skin, and other organs, were lodged under the 
old ones, as in so many tubes or cases, and the animal retires from these 
cases, because they have become too strait. The reality of these incasements 
has been demonstrated by a simple experiment. When about to moult or 
cast its skin, if the foremost legs of a caterpillar are cut off, the animal comes 
out of the old skin deprived of these legs. From this fact, Reaumur con¬ 
jectured, that the chrysalis might be thus incased, and concealed under the 
last skin of the caterpillar. He discovered that the chrysalis, or rather the 
butterfly itself, was inclosed in the body of the caterpillar. The proboscis, 
the antennae, the limbs, and the wings, of the fly are so nicely folded up, 
that they occupy a small space only under the two first rings of the cater¬ 
pillar. In the first six limbs of the caterpillar are incased the six limbs of 
