E N T O M 
Of the GENERATION of INSECTS. 
One of the greateft myfteries appertaining to the infeCt 
tribes, is their mode of generation. Many ancient phi- 
lofophers imagined that infects were produced from cor¬ 
rupt and putrefied fubfiances, and thus owed their origin 
to mere chance. But they fhould have taught that every 
degree of life mu ft proceed from the fountain and fource 
of all life ; and that therefore infeCts rnuft conform to 
that general law which runs through the whole of ani¬ 
mated nature, namely, that the conjunction of the male 
and female is necefiary for the production and propaga¬ 
tion of their offspring. 
But though infeCts are, like larger animals, for this 
end diftinguiffied into male and female, yet in fome claffes 
there appears to be a kind of mules, partaking of neither 
fex, though themfelves originating from the conjunction 
of both ; and many other particularities relative to the 
fexes of infeCts, feem equally myfierious and unaccounta¬ 
ble : though it is mod confonant to reafon that all fuch 
infeCts as are termed mules, neuters, or which appear of 
doubtful or imperfect conformation, are only fuch whofe 
parts are not yet completely evolved, and confequently 
not arrived at their laft or perfect ftate. It is evident 
that this is the cafe with what are called labourers among 
the white ants. 
In many infeCts the mrale and female are with difficulty 
diftinguidted ; and in fome they differ fo widely, that an 
unfkilful perfon might eafily take the male and female of 
the fame infeCt for different fpecies ; as for in,fiance, in 
the phalcena humuli, piniaria, ruffula, &c. The diflimi- 
larity is fiill greater in thofe infeCts in which the male has 
wings and the female none, as in the coccus lampyris, 
termes fatale, phalaena antiqua, and many of the hemip- 
tera clafs. The female of the gryllus pedeftris is quite 
defiitute of wings, and paffed for a gryllus in its larva 
date, until it was feen in copulation, which proved its 
maturity ; for it is an eftablifhed faCt, that no infeCt can 
propagate, till it arrives at its laft or perfect ftate.—“ Ple- 
raque infe&orum genitalia fua intra anum habent abjeondita, et 
penes folitarios, fed nonnulla penem habent bijidum: cancri autem 
et aranei geminos, quemadmodum nonnulla amphibia, et quod mi¬ 
n'andum in loco alieno, ut cancer, J'ub bafi caudee. Arancus mas 
palpos habet clavatos, qui penes Jant, juxta os utrinque unicum, 
qua clava fexum nec fpeciem dijlinguunt ; et feemina vulvasfuas 
habet in abdomine juxta peblus ; hcic vero Ji unquam vere dixeris : 
res plena timoris amor, Ji enim procus inaufpicato accejferit feemina 
ipfum devorat, quod etiam fit,f non Jlatim fe retraxent. Libcl- 
lula feemina genitale fuurrifim apice gerit caudie, et mas fub pec- 
tore, adeo ut cum mas collum feemina forcipe caudie arripit, ilia 
caudam fuain peElori ejus adplicet,fcquepeculiari ratione connexce 
zjolitent.” 
InfeCts are either oviparous, or viviparous; in other 
words, the fpecies is perpetuated either by their laying of 
e ggs, or bringing forth their young alive. The former is 
the more general cafe ; there are but few inftances of the 
latter. Thofe infeCts which pafs through the different 
transformationsalready deferibed, cannot propagate, there¬ 
fore, till they arrive at their winged ftate ; and we believe 
there is feldom any conjunction of the fexes in other claffes 
till they have moulted, or put off' their laft fkin, the can¬ 
cri and monoculi excepted: Reaumur, tom. iv. p. 415, 
mentions feveral fpecies of two-winged flies that are vivi¬ 
parous, -bringing forth worms, which are afterwards tranf- 
formed into flies. The womb of one of thefe is Angularly 
curious ; it is formed of a band rolled up in a fpiral form, 
and about two inches and a half in length ; fo that 
it is feven or eight times longer than the body of the 
fly, and compofed of worms placed one on the fide of the 
other with wonderful art; and are many thoufands in 
number. 
Among the aphides, or pucerons, many bring forth their 
young alive in fummer, but in autumn they depofit eggs 
upon the branches and bark of trees. The generative 
habitudes of this genus are very Angular: an aphis or 
puceron, hatched from a rofe-leaf, and brought up in the 
Vol. VI. No. 396. 
O L O G \. 64i. 
mod perfeft folitude from the very moment of its birth, 
in a few days will be found the parent of a numerous 
family ; repeat the experiment on one of the individuals 
of this new family, and the fecond generation will multiply 
like its parent ; and this is found to be the cafe for ten 
generations, when impregnation by the male appears again 
neceffary for another ten years procreation. See thefe faCts 
explained under the article Aphis, vol. i. p. 789. 
However Angular the generation and production of 
the aphides may appear, that of bees is not lefs fo.— 
This little republic has at all times gained univerfal 
efteem and admiration ; and, though they have attracted 
the attention of the moft ingenious inquirers into nature, 
yet the mode of propagating their fpecies for a long time 
baffled the ingenuity of ages, and rendered their attempts 
to difeover it abortive. Reaumur was the firft who re¬ 
moved the veil, and explained their manner of generating: 
he difeovered that the queen bee was the only female be¬ 
longing to a fwarm or hive, and the mother of the next 
generation; that the drones are the males by which fhe 
is fecundated, and that the working bees, or thofe that 
collcCt wax on the flowers, that knead it, and form from 
it the combs and cells, which they afterwards fill with 
honey, are at the time of neither fex, but neuters ; and 
that the neuters afterwards become perfeCt. The queen 
bee is diftinguifhed by her fize, being larger than the 
working bee or the drone. See a full account of their 
mode of propagation, habits, and economy ; with figures 
of the male, female, and neuters; their various parts, 
combs, &c. under Apis, vol. i. p. 792— 798. 
Divine Providence inftruCts the infeCts in a moft remark¬ 
able manner to depofit their eggs, not only in fafety from 
their numerous enemies, but alfo in fituations where a 
fufficient quantity of food is on the fpot to fupport and 
nourifh the larva immediately on breaking the (hell. The 
gnat, the ephemera, the phryganea, the libellula, hover 
over the water all day to drop their eggs, which are hatch¬ 
ed in the water, and continue there all the time they are 
in the larva form. The mafs formed by the gnat refetn- 
bles a little veffel fet afloat by the infeCt; each egg is in 
the form of a keel, and curioufly connected together. 
The gnat lays but one egg at a time, which fhe depolits 
on the water in a very ingenious and fimple manner ; (lie 
ftretches her legs out, and erodes them, thus forming an 
angle to receive and hold the firft egg ; a fecond egg is 
foon placed next the firft ; then a third, and fo on, till the 
bafe is capable of fupporting itfelf; thefe, as they come 
to maturity, fink deeper. The fpavvn of this infeCt is 
fometimes above an inch long, and one-eighth of an inch 
in diameter, and tied by a little ftem or ftalk to fome flick 
or ftone. Sometimes they are laid in a Angle, fometimes 
in a double, fpiral line ; fometimes tranfverfely. Many 
of the moths cover their offspring with a thick bed of 
hair, which they gather from their own body ; while 
others cover them with a glutinous compofition, which, 
when hard, protects them from moifture, rain, and cold. 
The gall-flies, it has been obferved, know how to open 
the nerves of the leaves, to depofit their eggs in a place 
which afterwards ferves them for a lodging and a maga¬ 
zine of food. The folitary bees and wafps prepare an 
habitation for their little ones in the earth, placing there 
a proper quantity of food for them, when they proceed 
from the egg. The voracious fpider is careful of its eggs; 
the wolf fpider carries them on its back in a little bag 
formed of its filk, it cannot be feparated from them but 
by violence, and exhibits the moft marked figns of uneafi- 
nefs when deprived of them : a circumftance the more re¬ 
markable, as they love to deftroy each other, and even 
carry on their courtfhips with a diffidence and caution un¬ 
known in any other fpecies of animals. See the article 
Aranea. The paternal affeCtion and care of the ant is 
alfo well known. They are not fatisfied with placing their 
eggs in fituations made on purpofe, and to raife or rear 
them till they come to the nymph or pupa ftate, but they 
even extend their care to the pupae themfelves, removing 
10 E them 
