488 A DESCRIPTION OF 
to deposit her eggs in the body of other insects when in 
the caterpillar, or pupa state ; so that the young as soon as 
they are hatched, may feed upon the caterpillar, pene- 
trating to its very entrails. These larvae, however, con- 
trive to puinp out the nutricious juices of their prey, with- 
out attacking its vitals; for the caterpillar continues to 
live for a long time, so as to afford them food till they have 
attained their full size. It is not uncommon to see cater- 
pillars fixed upon trees, as if they were sitting upon their 
eggs; when it is afterwards discovered that the larvae, 
which were within their bodies, have spun their threads, 
with which, as with cords, the caterpillars are fastened 
down, and so perish miserably. 
"A friend of mine," says Dr. Derham, "put about forty 
large caterpillars collected from cabbages on some bran 
and a few leaves in a box, and covered it with gauze 
to prevent their escape. After a few days we saw, from 
more than three fourths of them, about eight or ten 
little caterpillars of one of the Ichneumon flies come out 
of their backs, and spin each a small cocoon of silk, and in 
a few days the large caterpillars died." 
The Ichneumons performed great service in the years 
1731 and 1732, by multiplying in the same proportion as 
the caterpillars, and their larvae destroyed more of these 
destructive creatures than could any efforts of human in- 
dustry. 
THE ANT, OR EMMET. (Formica rufa.) 
These Emmets, how little they are in our eyes ! 
We tread them to dust, and a troop of them dies, 
Without our regard or concern : 
Yet as wise as we are, if we went to their school, 
There's many a sluggard, and many a fool, 
Some lessons of wisdom might learn. 
WATTS. 
