142 
cannot be feen diftinctly, being fituated partly 
under the wings of the Nymph. But a par- 
ticular, very worthy of notice here, is, that this 
other point of refpiration is in the Nymph 
removed to a greater diftance from the firft, 
than it had been at firft in the Coffus itfelf, and 
as I have figured it in that ftate; fo that by this 
mieans it is confiderably drawn back towards 
the hinder parts. ‘The fixth ring 6, next to the 
former, contains the third point of re{piration, 
which is very diftinly feen externally in the 
Nymph, at the extremity of the abdomen. In 
like manner the feventh ring 7, fhews the fourth 
point of refpiration, and the eighth 8, fhews 
the-fifth. But the fixth and feventh points of 
refpiration, confpicuous in the ninth and tenth 
9, 10, rings are again clofer. The eleventh, 
twelfth and thirteenth rings 11, 12,13, confti- 
tute as it were one connected joint together ; and — 
the eighth and ninth points of refpiration, which 
are fituated at or near thefe rings in the Worm, 
likewife become not only clofer and more com- 
pact, but the laft of them is in this {tate almoft in- 
vifible, As tothe fourteenth ring 14, it is not 
vifible when the Nymph is in this manner 
placed on its belly, but on the other fide it is 
feen beautifully, refembling two oblong oval 
little fhields. O wonderful changes! whereby 
the creature comes into the world as it were 
new formed, and yet is moft certainly the fame 
that it was in the Worm. 
The Worm being in this manner difengaged 
from its skin, transformed by accretion, and 
having its limbs and parts changed into the 
ftate of a Nymph, clofely twifts and compreffes 
the caft skin by the motion of its fundament, 
and the {kin is afterwards thrown towards 
the hinder parts under the belly. The 
Nymph is at that time very white, only that 
on the fifth, fixth, eighth, ninth and tenth 
rings of the back, there appear fome delicate 
or horny hardifh corpufcles, which approach 
to a bright red colour; in the little thields alfo 
of the laft ring, and here and there in its body 
and legs the like fubftances are at this time alfo 
_ feen. The Worm or rather the Nymph is at 
this time very delicate, tender and flexible, and 
as it becomes remarkably fhorter, on the other 
hand it is expanded confiderably in-breadth and 
thicknefs; for the blood and air have very con- 
fpicuoufly inflated the wings and the ireft of 
the parts, in the part towards the head, and 
diftended them fo that they are become rigid. 
If we view this Nymph nearer, we obferve 
that the tranfparent productions of the wind- 
pipe appear not only in the legs, but in the 
wings themfelves, and. in their fheaths and 
cafes; nay, they are feen alfo in the fubftance 
of the horny or bony part that {trengthens the 
thorax. 
About this time the Worm or Nymph re- 
fembles a tender young infant very lately brought 
into the world, and which is rolled up in its 
firft {waddling cloaths, and cannot yet bear much 
handling. We may more properly indeed 
compare this Nymph to an Embryo, which, 
The BOOK of NATURE; ot, 
being lately conceived in the uterus, may, by 
force of the injuries offered it by the mother’s 
imagination, be injured in various manners : for 
the impreflions which the Nymph receives at 
this tender age, are not abolifhed even when it 
is grown up or is become a Beetle. 
the horn, legs, or other parts are bent in the 
Nymph, or difturbed in any manner, they al- 
ways afterwards remain thus deformed in the 
Beetle; and the Beetle carries with it through 
life the veftiges or remains of all the injuries 
inflicted on this feeble and tender little creature; 
this is agreeable to the fentiment of the poet : 
Quo femel eft imbuta recens, fervabit odorem 
tefta diu. 
That is, 
“© A new veffel will long preferve the fcent 
of the firft liquor poured into it.” 
This change therefore merits the greateft ad- 
miration and the moft attentive regard, by 
means of which the creature for fome days 
exhibits the future parts of the Beetle fo finely 
and beautifully difpofed, and formed in fuch a 
manner, as that they will one day ferve the crea | 
ture in a more perfect flate of life, to walk, 
fly, and take its nourifhment. I therefore really 
think, that the Coffus of this fpecies comftituted 
in the form of a Nymph, affords an appear- 
ance fo fingular, that among all the ftrange and 
aftonifhing appearances of infects, it cannot be 
equalled. I fhould be very glad to fee hereafter 
the Nymph of the ftag-horned Beetle, for I 
fhould think it would make a much more fplen- 
did figure when it prepares itfelf like a bride, 
in all its decorations, for a new and more noble 
{tate of life. 
The Chryfalis of the fwift Butterfly de- 
fcribed by J. Banhinus.in the year 1590, among 
the Mouches ou Papillons non vulgaires, or the 
uncommon Flies or Butterflies, is very rare and 
admirable. Aldrovandus, Lib. II. Cap. de Chryf. 
Tab. VII. fig. 1, exhibits a kind of figure 
thereof. Mouffet alfo, pag. 105, defcribes the 
leaft {pecies of the faid Butterflies, and properly 
calls it the fwifteft of all, for indeed the {wal- 
lows do not fly with greater velocity than thefe 
little creatures. ; ri 
One thing very fingular in thefe Butterflies 
is, that they fly and eat at the fame time, 
though this alfo is the cafe with {wallows, and 
among infects with the Libella or Dragon-Fly. 
On the other hand fome Flies, after they have 
feized on their prey, reft in fome convenient 
place to devour it, as in particular the Wolf- 
Fly. But as Swallows eat and fly at the fame 
time, fo thefe, at other times nimble Butter- 
flies, flutter when they feed in fo flow, regular, 
and orderly a manner about the flowers where 
the food proper for them is depofited, that you 
would imagine they had loft all motion, and 
hung fufpended in the air; but they are hard at 
work all the time, for they then thruft out a 
very flender probofcis or trunk about two inches 
long, with two perforations in it, through 
which 
Hence; ig 
