20 The’ BO © KK of 
Figure, in which we likewife fee, that the But- 
terfly’s wings entirely cover itslegs, ‘The firft pair 
of legs lie nearly under the thorax; but they are 
now {o altered, as not to deferve that name; for 
the Butterfly makes no ufe of them as legs, nor 
have they claws like the othersa nature, indeed, 
feems to have intended them for fome other 
purpofe. 
As the wings extend themfeclves fo fuddenly, 
they accordingly appear at firft like pieces of wet 
paper, foft, and full of wrinkles, cavities, and 
{wellings, as I have reprefented them in ‘Tab. 
XII. Fig. rx. x. x1. But they are quite dry in 
half an hour, by which means all the inequali- 
ties in them entirely difappear, fo as to leave them 
perfectly fit for the creature’s fervice. ‘The But- 
terfly’s tranfmutation being thus perfectly finithed, 
it difcharges three or four pretty large drops of 
a bloody liquid, which are the laft remains of the 
fuperfluous moifture, the reft of which has been 
evaporated by the Aurelia during the heat of fum- 
mer, in the fpace of about ten days; for as the 
parts, which this moifture was intended to ex- 
pand, no longer need any increafe, what remains 
of it is no other than an ufelefs encumbrance, and 
accordingly it is expelled from the body as an 
excrement. 
Thus the Butterfly, in a little more than a 
quarter of an hour, acquires its full perfection. 
Daring the Caterpillar-ftate, it may be confidered 
as a newly conceived embryo. In that of an 
Aureli:, it reprefents a child as yet fhut up in 
the womb, but about to break the membranes in 
which it is bound up, in order to make its efcape. 
Lafily, the infect, when employed in extricat- 
ing itfelf from its integuments, refembles the in- 
fant juft coming into the world, However, there 
is this confiderable difference between them, 
which well deferves attention. ‘The Butterfly 
does not produce itfelf like our wretched off- 
{pring, weak, tender, and in a manner but half 
perfected ; but, almoft from its firftt moment of 
appearance in this ftate, it is a complete creature 
of manly age, if I may be allowed the expreffi- 
on, and qualified in every refpect to avoid fuch 
things as are hurtful, and look out for thofe that 
tend to fecure its exiftence, for the {pace allotted 
by nature, and make it agreeable. 
"Whoever confiders thefe particulars attentive- 
ly, mutt obferve, in this poor infect, a great and 
indeed immenfe degree of perfection, which 
ian, the greateft work of the creation, entirely 
wants. And this profpect fhould fill us, mifer- 
able mortals, with fentiments of the moft pro- 
found hamility. We fee a little infignificant in- 
feé&t, diftinguifhed from its laft birth, with quali- 
fications, ornaments, and perfections, which, dur- 
ing our {tay upon earth, however long it may be, 
we can never flatter ourfelves with the hopes of 
enjoying. 
This creature, to fupport life, needs no other 
food but the dews of heaven, and thofe limpid 
diftilled juices, which it finds ready prepared for its 
ufe by the beneficent fun, and plentifully ftored up 
in every flower. No theatrical fcene can be ima- 
gined equal to the ornaments with which it is 
cloathed ; and that its wings, and the rich co- 
5 
INGA UR A is sor 
lours that embellifh them, were beftowed upon 
it merely for the fake of ornament, appears from 
its being able to fly with but two, as well as with 
four wings. ‘The skies are the Butterfly’s pro- 
per habitation, and the air its element; whilft 
man, miferable in every refpect, is obliged to 
earn his bread with labour and cares: he comes 
into the world naked, and deftitute of all exter- 
nal ornaments, to demand attention ; and, born in 
this wretched condition, he roves about without 
habitation or fhelter, expofed on the one hand to 
the heat of the fun, on the other, to the damps 
and exhalations of the earth, both enemies alike 
to his happinefs and exiftence. 
Indeed, upon mature thought, we have no 
caufe to be furprifed at this difference. Weare 
at prefent exiles from heaven, our proper home; 
{tripped of that beautiful cloathing which our 
firft parents poffefied. But this is not the only 
creature, from whence we may draw ufeful in- 
ftructions. All other kinds of infe&ts are gene- 
rated in the fame manner. Not one of them 
grows the value of a fingle line, after the half 
hour that immediately fucceeds their extricat- 
ing themfelves from their skins for the laft time. 
We admire with the greateft aftonithment, how 
the bodies of the flying infeéts could be contained 
in the little skins and membranes, out of which 
they came to ‘appear in this ftate ; whereas the 
wonder confifts entirely in their expanding fo 
much, and acquiring fuch perfections in the firft 
few minutes that fucceed their enlargement. 
How then can we avoid crying out, O God 
of miracles! how wonderful are all thy works! 
how beautiful are the ornaments! how well 
adapted the powers which thou haft fo pro- 
fufely beftowed upon thy creatures! They are 
all, notwithftanding, fubject to decay and deftruc- 
tion ; and, with all their perfections, fcarce de- 
ferve to be confidered as fhadows of the Divine 
Nature. It is therefore, with the higheft reafon, 
that a certain writer has faid, That all nature is 
over-run, and covered with a kind of leprofy. 
This is her old garment, which fhe is one day 
to throw off, and its heavinefs alone is fufficient 
to weigh down our fenfes, and difturb our rea- 
fon, in fpite of all its efforts. 
Goedaert defcribes the Caterpillar I have here 
been figuring, and the Butterfly arifing from it, 
in the xxi. experiment of the firft part of his 
natural metamorphofes; but he forgot in his 
figure the Caterpillar’s prickles, inftead of which, 
he gives it nothing bat fimple hairs, He has, 
befides, been guilty of another miftake, in be- 
{towing breathing-holes on every one of the 
Caterpillar’s rings. Muffet alfo has favoured us 
with figures of the Caterpillar, and the Butterfly, 
and has defcribed the Butterfly according to its 
colours. But Goedaert’s drawing of it, deferves 
the preference by many degrees. 
The beauties of the Butterfly now before us, 
Tab. XXXV. Fig. x11. is but of a middle rank, 
if compared with that of many others, Its head 
is covered with little black hairy and fcaly fea- 
thers; the eyes, which take up the greateft part 
of the head, are thickly guarded alfo with hairs 
refembling briftles; and they confift of a fub- 
a {tance 
