18 
any, or with fix, or more legs, and in an 
invifible manner grows in its limbs and 
parts under the skin, and does not fhed this 
skin, but acquires the form of a Nymph un- 
der it. 
Having laid down thefe general propofitions, 
The BOOK of NATURE; of, 
I thall hereafter diftin@lly and at large, defcribe 
the Nymph under thefe four different orders ; 
and at the fame time fhall lay it before the 
eye by particular examples, illuftrating every 
defcription ; but in the firft place, I fhall enu- 
merate the infects which belong to each order. 
Phe; By ls RESat' +O R DabeRy 
Of the natural changes, or flow accretion, of the limbs. 
ce on the one hand it appears, from 
the niceft experiments, that all infects 
proceed from an egg, that is laid by an 
infect of the fame fpecies, with. whatever 
warmth fome philofophers have maintained the 
contrary; fo on the other it muft be obferved, 
that fome infects iffue therefrom inftantaneoutly, 
and, as it is faid, perfect in all their parts, as 
almoft all the kinds of Spiders, and many more. 
Others, on the contrary, undergo fome changes 
before their parts are finifhed, which is the 
property of a great number of Worms and 
Caterpillars ; for when thefe infects affume the 
form of a Nymph or Chryfalis, under this 
fhape they fuffer another change, or rather, 
the fame evaporation of the fuperfluous moi- 
fture which the animalcule fuffers in the egg 
when it iffues from thence, or which they 
themfelves have alfo fuffered in their egg, be- 
fore they underwent this change, 
Hence it is, that as fome infects come from 
the egg perfect in all their parts, Tab. 1. fig. 11. ¢. 
fo, on the contrary, others are forced from 
thence imperfect as it were in their feveral 
limbs. But as the former often change their 
skin, though they be not afterwards trans- 
formed into Nymphs, which are difcoverable 
by certain new limbs, before they grow ma- 
ture, andare rendered fit for generation, fo the 
latter fometimes caft their skins, and when they 
throw off the laft, under which they acquire 
the form of a Nymph, and are furnifhed with 
new limbs, Tab. XVI. they likewife attain to 
maturity ; after which neitherthe former nor 
the latter infeéts caft their skin or grow, but 
apply themfelves, with all their ftrength, to the 
bufinefs of generation ; and then, pleafed as it 
were with their paft employment, they die in 
peace, unlefs it be fo ordered by nature, that 
they are obliged to feed their young, and for 
that putpofe muft neceffarily live fomewhat 
longer. Indeed, moft infects are found of fuch 
a nature,, as fcarcely to live more than four 
hours after the time of their laft change, and 
the bufinefs of generation is over: fo that na- 
ture feems to exert her utmoft ftrength upon 
this occafion, and the beginning of life in. one 
little animal is the end of it in another, as we 
fee every day in the motion of the weights 
affixed to clocks, one of which defcends whilft 
the other afcends. But we fhall treat more 
fully of thefe matters in their proper place. 
To explain our obfervations on the egg 
fomewhat more amply, and as far as may be 
proper in this place, we muft add, that we 
have remarked, that the infects which proceed 
inftantaneoufly, or perfect, from the egg, as 
well as thofe which iffue from thence in the 
form of Worms, are difpofed and placed in 
the fame egg as clofe as can be, and without 
any food in their power, in the fame manner 
as the Worm and Caterpillar lie {till and com- 
pofed, without the leaft food, when they have 
put on the form of a Nymph, as we have ob- 
ferved. This will be clearer when we come to 
the fourth order of tranfmutation. 
Further, as the Worms and Caterpillars be- 
forementioned, when changed into Nymphs, 
are fluid like water, and fwoln on account of 
their limbs being extended by a fuperfluous 
moifture; and as they cannot move, although 
they live and breathe; fo we have found, that 
our animalcules lying in their egg, and being 
alfo fluid like water, are incapable of the leaft 
motion. Wherefore, as the infect formed from 
the Nymph, or rather the infects themfelves, 
hidden under the form of Nymphs, do not 
appear, till thefe redundant humours have been 
diffipated, and their limbs have acquired fuf- 
ficient ftrength to burft the outward skin; fo 
likewife thefe animalcules, which are. protruded 
from the egg, either perfect or imperfect, do 
not part with thefe their eggs or coverings, 
before the fuperfluous moifture is expelled, 
and their feeble limbs have acquired fufficient 
ftrength, fo as to be able to break through the 
outmoft skin, wherein they are involved as in 
a fhell, and to quit it, as foon as it is burft or 
perforated. 
If we attentively confider what has been 
hitherto advanced, which is indeed of great 
moment, and productive of many ufeful con- 
clufions, we fhall be inclined to determine, 
that thofe eggs, wherein the animalcules lie . 
{till without food, in the figure of Nymphs, 
and which, for that reafon, often have the 
form of the animalcules that are to proceed from 
them, ought not, properly fpeaking, to be 
called eges, but Nymphs in the form of eggs, 
or oviform Nymphs. The former infect, for 
this reafon, though yet in the egg, may not 
be improperly called a Nymph-animal oviform, 
or in the appearance of an egg; as the latter 
may be denominated an oviform Nymph-ver- 
micle, or Worm-Nymph. Nay, the egg, as 
it is called, or rather, the coat wherein they 
are wrapped up, ought to have the appellation 
of their skin, rather than that of the fhell or 
Ee. 
