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II. 
The fangle foundation of the changes obfervable in the Bee infotts foewn to be 
the Nymph; with an explanation of the manner in which worms and 
Cazerpillars become Nymphs. 
i HOUGH,; amoneft all the miutations 
of nature which deferve our attention, 
rione appears more furprizing to the generality 
of mankind, than that by which a Caterpillar 
affumes the form of a winged animal, it in 
reality deferves no more admiration, than any 
other change in the forms of Bees, or the tran{- 
formation obfervable in plants: This will evi- 
dently appear to any one, who, having exa- 
mined the real nature of fuch metamorphofes, 
will obferve how exactly they agree; not only 
with the growth of animals which undergo no 
fuch change; but alfo with the {hooting or bud- 
ding out of plants and flowers. Whatever dif- 
ficulty we find in this, is merely an effect of 
our own miftaken notions ; and our admiration 
arifes from our ignorance of the nature of the 
Nymph or Chryfalis. In this the little animal 
lies, like the flower in its bud. Before I pro= 
ceed farther on this head, it may be proper to 
obferve, that thefe words, Nymph and Chryfalis, 
fignify the fame thing, and that there is no dif- 
ference in the nature of the fubjeéts to which 
they are applied. 
To advance toward my purpofe, I mutft re- 
peat, that the reader is to take particular notice, 
that to acquire a fatisfactory knowledge of the 
mutations which happen in the eggs of infects in 
general, as well asin the worms or Caterpillars in 
particular hatched from them, hemuft firft clearly 
and diftinétly comprehend the nature of the 
Nymph, Necydalis, Chryfalis, or Aurelia: 
Though we mutt allow that there appears, as it is 
generally called, fome accidental difference be- 
‘tween the plain unadorned Nymph, and that form 
of it, which, from its bright gold colour, isjcalledan 
Aurelia, or Chryfalis ; upon muture confiderati- 
on, this will be found merely accidental, without 
any difference in the internal conftitution of 
their parts, fufficient to alter in them what is 
commonly called the eflence of things. This 
great truth being once underftood of infects 
in general, may be afterwards applied to every 
particular fpecies of them: for inftance, to 
the Silk-worm, whofe Nymph or Necydalis is 
never called Nymph by naturalifts; but only 
Necydalis and Chryfalis, though it is in fat a 
Nymph, and is called Chryfalis merely on ac- 
count of the external difference in colour. 
That we may fucceed the better in examin- 
ing the nature of this Nymph, or Chryfalis, upon 
which, as upon an immoveable bafis, the doc- 
trine of all the changes obfervable in infects 
is fo evidently founded, that the jarring opinions 
of all the naturalifts who have hitherto wrote 
upon the fubject, muft appear utterly vain; 
it is neceflary to obferve, that the Nymph, or 
Chryfalis, is nothing more than a change of the 
Caterpillar or worm; or; to fpeak more pro- 
perly, an accretion, growth, or budding of the 
limbs and parts of the Caterpillar or worm, con- 
taining the embryo of the winged animal that 
is to proceed from it. The Nymph, or Chry- 
falis,. may even be confidered as the winged 
animal itfelf hid under this particular form. 
From whence it follows; that in reality the Ca- 
terpillar, or worm, is not changed intoa Nymph 
or Chryfalis; nor; to go a ftep further, the 
Nymph or Chryfalis into a winged animal ; but 
that the fame worm or Caterpillar, which, on 
cafting its fkin, aflumes the form of a Nymph or 
Chryfalis; becomes afterwards a winged animal. 
Nor; indeed, can it be faid that there happens 
any other change on this occafion, than what 
is obferved in chickens, from eggs which are 
not transformed into cock or hens, but grow 
to be fuch by the expanfion of parts already 
formed. In the fame manner the Tad-pole is 
not changed intoa Frog; but becomes a Frog, by 
an unfolding and increafing of fome of its 
parts. 
Hence it follows, that in the Aurelia, and 
more particularly in the Nymph, fo called by 
Ariftotle* with the greateft propriety, there are 
not only all the parts and limbs of thelittle winged 
animalitfelf ; but; whatis more furprifiing, though 
till now unnoticed by any author I have met 
with, all thefe parts, or limbs, are to be dif- 
covered, and may be fhewn in the worm itfelf, 
on ftripping off its {kin in a careful manner. If 
therefore we retain the name of Nymph, ufed 
by Ariftotle, the worm at this period may be 
confidered as marriagable, and, if we may make 
ufe of thefe expreffions, entering into the con- 
nubial ftate. We may further fhew this, by 
confidering that the worms, after the manner 
of the brides in Holland, fhut themfelves up 
for a time, as it were to prepare, and render 
themfelves more amiablé, when they are to meet 
the other fex in the field of Hymen. Since 
therefore the word Nymph expreffes the nature 
of the thing better than any other, as will more 
clearly appear hereafter, we fhall adopt it on 
this occafion to avoid confufion, and to be the 
better underftood : for though the words Chry- 
falis and Aurelia are employed to exprefs the 
fame thing, they properly imply fome external 
differences, which we have already named, and 
fhall hereafter treat of more at large. 
That elegant difpofition, and diftin& fram- 
ing of parts; which I have mentioned, is parti- 
cularly obfervable in the Nymphs of Ants, Tab. 
XVI, No. v. Flies, Tab. XLI. fig. 11, and Bees, 
Tab. XXV. fig. vi. as will appear upon in- 
{pecting their figures in Tab. XVI. XLI. 
and XXV. For fome accidents, as they are 
* Hift, Anim, Lib, V. cap. 19. 
called, 
