
NATURAL HISTORY.. - 439 
' new, flate, of fuperior exiftence.. Inftead of crawling 
the earth, they wing the air. .The intermediate ftate 
between the worm and the. fly, and which is fo ftrik- 
ing a picture of diffolution, is called the chryfallis 
fiate. What appears the tomb of the worm, is the 
embryo of the butterfly ; which, here acquiring a 
perfect form, burfts the barriers of the grave, and 
ipeeds. its flight into another world of enjoyment. 
What a contraft of being is there between its laft and 
former ftate! The caterpillar is terre(ftrial, and crawls 
heavily along the ground. The butterfly is agility 
itfelf, and feems almoft to difdain repofing on the 
earth, from whence it derived its being. The firft is 
fhagey, and of hideous afpect ; the latter is arranged 
In thgpreatctt {plendor and beauty of glowing colours. 
‘-Lhe former was obliged toa grofs. food; but this 
imbibes the effence of howers, regales on dews and 
honey ; and perpetually varies its pleafure, in the full 
enjoyment of nature, which it moit delightfully em. 
bellithes. 
A collection of the’ beautiful and variegated in- 
fects is a Splendid fpeétacle, where the richeft and 
moft diverfified colours delight and’ aftonifh thé eye 
with their thade and difpofition, The fight alone en- 
raptures. But, what a fublimnity Hee flexion they 
afford to the contemplator of nature! ‘The period of 
the caterpillar’s reptile exiftence being accomplifhed, 
it entombs itfelf, for the purpofe of rifing again a fu- 
perior being. ‘Ihe chryfallis is, at once, the tomb of 
the caterpillar, and the eradle of the butterfly. Un- 
_ der a tranfparent veil, this miracle of nature is effect- 
ed; from whence, like the fons cf man rifing from 
the tomb at the day of refurrection, the butterfly 
breaks the barrier of its grave, and wafts itfelf into 
the air of heaven. Here it enjoys the effulgence of 
lighty and ref{pires the breeze, embalmed with the 
{weets of nature. Succefsful in his rifling every nec- 
tarious flower, his reft is the harbinger of enjoyment. 
His airy wings convey him from pleafure to pleafure, 
while they captivate man with their beaunteous and 
variegated fplendor.. And in this revelling from ef- 
fence to effence, he is not to be caught but by a {mall 
net of pauze, or filk, upona wire, placed at the end of 
a light wooden handle. . 


