7 
The HISTORY of INSECTS. oy 
I have in my poffeffion feveral {pecies of the 
Ephemerus collected in France and other places; 
among which I can fhew the leaft {pecies of 
the Hemerobius or Ephemerus, called in 
Dutch Mut; the wonderful changes whereof I 
have fhewn as a matter of the higheft {pecula- 
tion, to the moft noble Thevenot, the illuftri- 
dus patron of all our ftudies, in the road that 
leads from Amfterdam to Sloten.; 
Before we conclude this order, we fhall refer 
the Earwig, Forficula, or Auricularia thereto, 
which creature, with its wings vifibly expanded; 
and its Nymph-Vermicle are alfo preferved in 
my collection. 
We clafs or arrange in this order all the 
infects that we have hitherto defcribed, which 
are excluded from their eggs under the form 
of a Worm, and in procefs of time are aug- 
mented or increafed into Nymph-Vermicles and 
fo on. Nor can we fufficiently wonder that 
this order of change has not been hitherto ob- 
ferved or reprefented to our knowledge by any 
perfon. So that upon confidering how little 
the naturalifts have taught us concerning thefe 
creatures, we are obliged, not without fhame; 
to confefs; that they were wholly ignorant of 
the nature of moft infects: For, if we may 
exprefs the matter as it really is in a few 
words, the names only of the {aid infects are 
mentioned in the books of the naturalifts; 
and if you except thefe, nothing remains but 
the falfe and imaginary inventions of a dream- 
ing and chimerical brain. As Iam not afraid 
to declare this generally, I would always ex- 
cept the induftrious Goedaert, who has faith- 
fully delineated, and; in fome meafure, accord 
ing to truth defcribed the changes of the Ca- 
terpillar kind; as alfo the moft accute Redi, 
who has, by irrefragable arguments, proved, 
that no creatures are produced by putrefaction ; 
and laftly, fome accomplifhed Englifhmen, the 
chief of whom are John Ray and Martin Lifter. 
An example of the fecond order or clafs of natural changes, whith I call the 
Nymph-V ermicle, in the Dragon-Fly. 
Ne. oe EXHIBIT here; Tab. XII. the 
Vermicle or Worm of the Dragon- 
Fly, as yet lying in its firft coat, in which, 
when enclofed, it is called an ege, Many 
of thefe eggs; placed near each other in the 
fame manner as they are fituated in the di- 
vided ovary of the Libella, I here exhibit de- 
lineated to the life. This ovary perfectly 
agrees with that of fith, efpecially that of the 
Hetring, and confifts in like manner. of nu- 
merous eggs, which are of an oblong figure, as 
may appear from thofe difperfed here and there 
in this figure. The eggs enclofed in this ovary 
are at length thrown into the water by the pa- 
rent infect, out of which afterwards iffue many 
fmall Vermicles with fix legs; and thefe having 
attained the full period of their growth, caft 
their skins, and becomes fo many Dragon-Flies, 
like the parent. so 
Il. To fhew the method wherein this hap- 
pens, I have likewife, for the fake of order, 
delineated to the life the coat of the egg out 
of which the Worm of the Fly has made its 
way. | 
Ail. Lafterwards in the third place, thew the 
Vermicle or Worm from which the Dragon- 
Fly is produced, by the power of accretion 
alone, but I have not delineated it fo {mall as 
it is when it comes firft out of its egg, but 
fomewhat larger, and in the form it has when 
it has been fed for fome time. I thew its eyes, 
together with two prominent horns in its head : 
in the breaft underneath are obferved fix thagey 
legs, each of which is divided into four joints, 
and the extreme joint of each is furnithed with 
two claws. The belly is divided into ten rings, 
the lait or loweft of which has fome briftly, 
rigid and prominent little points. It is agreeable 
to obferve in this Worm how its limbs come 
imperfect out of the egg; which is likewife a 
property of the Vermicles of the third and fourth 
order or clafs of tranfmutations,; as {hall be 
afterwards fhewn in its proper place. And 
it is for this reafon I call the little crea- 
ture, whilft it remains in this iniperfeét form 
in the egg; an oviform Nymph-Vermicle, 
as I have explained more at large above; 
and this obfervation I would have inculcated 
and underftobd once for all; in the courfe 
of the fubfequent orders, as I fhall repeat it 
no more. . 
IV. I reprefent this Vermicle fomewhat 
older, fo that about the end of the thorax, 
where that part is connected with the belly, 
four membranous buds or follicles like flower- 
cups are obferved to fpring, fwell, and as it 
were branch out of the body: thefe four fol- 
licles or membranous bags contain the wings, 
which increafe in the fame manner as the cups 
of plants and trees do with their flowers and 
fruit. But if any one fhould at this period 
diffe thefe bags, he would find nothing in 
them but a watry humour or ichor, becaufe 
the wings, too tender yet for fight, have not 
acquired their ftrength and perfection, in the 
fame manner as in the cups of flowers and 
fruits when they are firft diftinguifhable, no- 
thing is found but a moifture or clammy 
liquors | “eae 
V. I afterwards demonttrate this little crea 
ture in the ftate wherein it has attained its 
full bignefs, together with its four bags or fol- 
licles, which are confpicuous on its back, and 
are increafed to their due fize; at this time I 
find the wings perfect in them, but folded in 
each other ; nay, we may likewife obferve all 
the colours and varieties of painting of this 
creature now tranfparent through the skin; 
Cie where- 
