‘i 
Th HISTORY of INSECTS. Sy 
Worm, fince the Worm is two thirds longer 
than the Nymph: and hence it fhould feem 
neceffary, that the marrow in the Nymph mutt 
be thus twifted, by reafon of the contradction 
‘of the body, which, as it were, accommodates 
itfelf thereto fpontaneoufly. But experience 
teaches, that all our reafonings here are of no 
confequence. 
Wherefore, if any one well confiders thefe 
changes and extenfions of the nerves, and the 
knots of the {pinal marrow, he will clearly fee, 
that the change of the Worm into a Nymph, 
and of the Nymph into a Fly, the infect, in 
the mean time, being one and the fame, is, 
in reality, very miraculous, and may be called, 
as it were, a new creation, or rather genera- 
tion; the true caufes of which we are at as 
great a lofs to inveftigate, as the nature of God, 
who is the author of this work. This fhould 
certainly excite us to acknowledge the offen- 
five cloud of our own blind ignorance in every 
thing, and afterwards to ceafe from pride and 
arrogance. It teaches us alfo, how largely the 
miracles of God are expreffed in thefe {mall 
creatures: they are, as it were, fpontaneouily 
evident to any one, with the leaft pains, in the 
inveftigation. However, one may obferve, 
that fuch changes are likewife obferved in 
the larger animals; for the fpinal marrow 
of the embryo, which, in the beginning, is 
hardly larger than a pea, is alfo infenfibly 
expanded as it grows larger: yet one can- 
not, on the other hand, deny that this is 
only a fimple augmentation of the parts, 
which produces fuch changes in the larger ~ 
animals. But in the infects there is obferved 
a remarkable tranfpofition of the parts, and an 
admirable accretion of the vifcera; which, as 
it is performed in a {mall fpace of time, de- 
ferves to be called miraculous, nor can it by 
any means be diftinctly explained : for our eyes 
never difcover, nor can they ever difcover, how 
thefe things are really executed. Add to this, 
that the adult animal here grows young as it 
were again, and muft receive other additions, 
until it is at length cloathed in a more noble 
body: all‘which tend to the honour and glory 
of God, the Supreme Deity, the Author of all 
thefe miracles, 
CATE ASP Te VT 
Of the true manner in which the Nymph breaks out of its outer and inner coats ; 
Jo that, by a kind of wvifible refurrettion, the creature afterwards affumes the 
form of aFly. <Alfo of the pulmonary tubes and inteftines, the coats of which 
are drawn off, and left in the exuvia. 
HEN the time approaches, in which 
: the hidden infect, now changed into 
a Nymph, in its outmoft uncaft coat, is to at- 
tain the form of a Fly, which change it per- 
forms in the fpace of eleven days, the fuper- 
fluous humours, wherewith its members are 
{wollen, are firft infenfibly expelled by perfpi- 
ration. ‘The little body of the Nymph alfo, 
as hath been obferved before, is contracted 
unto the fifth ring of the fkin: and hence the 
four laft rings of the abdomen and tail become 
empty and hollow, or are all filled with air, 
through the aperture of the refpiratory orifice 
in the tail. The Nymph likewife yet draws its 
breath through the fame aperture. 
If you defire to fee this, expofe the Nymph 
a little to the rays of the fun, and afterwards 
put its tail into water. Thus you will find, 
that it will breathe ftronger than it did before, 
and, by exprefling an air-bubble out of its 
body, and again fucking it in, will manifeftly 
perform the action of infpiration and ex{pira- 
tion. 
The anterior part of the Nymph’s body 
likewife draws back from the fkin, and having 
partly deferted the beak, head, and firft ring 
of the breaft, the little infeGt afterwards lies 
at reft within its fkin; until its exhaling mem- 
bers have acquired due ftrength and firmnefs 
to break open thofe two membranes, where- 
with it is now furrounded, and hindered from: 
coming into light. All thefe things muft be 
here remembered, that what I thall fay here- 
after may be properly underftood. 
If, however, the outer fkin be opened about 
this time, very wonderful varieties of colours, 
fuch as one can fearce imagine, prefent. them- 
felves through the inner fkin, with which the 
Nymph is covered. Some of the parts are 
changed from white into black; others are of 
a yellow, purple, brown, or very black colour, 
like pitch ; others, from aqueous, have become 
membraneous; and, from this latter fate, again 
become hard: fome become flefhy; others 
again acquire an horny or bony hardnefs, fo 
that, when prefled, they crack and break 
afunder. 
It is likewife obferved at this time, that the 
whole body becomes infenfibly fhagey, and 
the feet and claws begin to move. All thefe 
things may be diftinctly feen, provided one 
opens one of thofe Nymphs conftantly every 
day, until the time of change. But, for this 
purpofe, it is neceflary to lay them on white 
paper in an earthen difh, or glafs faucer, and 
then to make them fomewhat moift with water, 
and keep them under a glafs. In this cafe, 
the paper ferves the Nymphs to fix their claws 
in, when they come forth under the form of 
a Fly; and I pour in a little water, to preferve 
them from drying and fuffocation. | 
. When the creature is at length to come in 
fight, 
