84 
magnified, and fhall defcribe its external parts. 
This Worm, or Vermicle, has no feet ; but it 
confifts of fourteen annular incifions, which 
conftitute its head, breaft, belly, and tail. In 
the forepart of the head are feen two teeth a. 
The thorax, in that here reprefented, was very 
much expanded in breadth 54, and fhewed in 
its firft ring two {pots of a rufty colour, ap- 
proaching to brown. The head alfo appeared 
to be of the like colour, but fomewhat paler : 
there were alfo, very many tranfparent pulmo- 
nary tubes feen in the breaft. The reft of the 
body was formed ce nearly like the thorax. 
Out of the fides of each ring of the thorax and 
belly there fprung hairs like flaxen threads. 
The laft rings of the body alfo, were variegated 
with fome black fpots. ‘This whole Worm 
was of a beautiful white colour, fomewhat ap- 
proaching to green. It moved a flow pace, 
going forward by the affiftance of the rings of 
its body; which it fometimes contracted, and 
again expanded: and this it did more readily, 
whilft it lay between the coats of the leaf, than 
when drawn out of it. The exuvie, or skin 
which it cafts, was left between the coats of 
the leaf; where likewife lay the excrements, 
which the Worm had even thruft into the hol- 
low interftices of the little nerves. 
Ihave not yet feen the egg of this Vermi- 
cle, though I have very diligently fearched for 
it; but I had begun that obfervation on the 
2oth of Auguft, when the Summer draws to 
anend. I afterwards obferved, that the Ver- 
micles were too far advanced for me to be able 
to find out their proper conftruction and hiftory. 
The inveftigation of that matter muft there-_ 
fore be deferred to another opportunity. How- 
ever, even at that late feafon of the year, I 
found, in a Willow-leaf, a very fmall kind of 
orbicular fpot, which I have figured therein, near 
the former fpots, Tab. XLIV. Fig.1. 22. I ex- 
pected to have found an egg in this; but when 
J opened it, I found a very {mall oblong, black 
Nymph ; which, I found on examining it with 
a microfcope, would at length change into a 
{mall Beetle. But I could not then difcover 
either the worm or the egg of this Nymph. 
When I attempted, and was defirous to keep 
the Nymph, it was loft from my fight, on ac- 
count of its extreme fmallnefs. Confider, rea- 
der, therefore, how minute that egg mutt be ; 
the Nymph of which was almoft invifible. 1 
began this obfervation on the 30th of Auguft. 
It is evident from what I have faid of the 
teeth of thefe Worms, with what inftruments 
they gnaw and break open the inmoft coat of 
the leaf. For the Worm, in a very irregular 
manner, hollows the leaf, forming a finus 
which runs into various angulated and ferrated 
borders ; by which means it widens its habita- 
tion by degrees, eating the fubftance of the 
leaf fometimes round it, fometimes length- 
ways, and at other times through the angulated 
curvatures. It is very admirable, that the Worm 
never eats even the fmalleft hole in the coats 
_of the leaf. It feparates the internal from the 
external coat fo carefully, and without injury, 
‘] 
The 1B © (OMe of NEA TRO Ee on 
that the method whereby it is done would in. 
deed be incomprehenfible ; unlefs we confider 
its fine teeth, by the help of which it confumes 
the middle fubftance of the leaf. Hence it is 
likewife evident, that the orifice muft be very 
{mall, by which the egg of this Worm is frft 
conveyed through the inward coat into the fub- 
{tance of the leaf, that it may live, be nourith- 
ed, and perform its metamorphofis there. | 
On the 24th of Auguft, I {aw a Fig. x. one 
of thefe Vermicles put on the form of a Nymph 
in my chamber. This may be feen very exaétly, 
by holding the leaf to the light of the fun or 
candle. I obferve, that this Nymph properly 
belongs to the firft mode of the third order ; 
fince it very clearly, and without impediment, 
exhibit its limbs to view. In the beginning of 
this change, the Nymph is white; but it after- 
wards becomes gray, and by degrees black. It 
very ftrongly moves its tail; by the help of 
which it can go between the coats of the leaf. 
On Auguft the 26th, it became as black as 
pitch. 
The head, thorax, abdomen, and all the 
other limbs of the future Beetle were now feen 
in it. In the forepart of the head were fituated 
two crooked, Tab. XLIV. a briftly hairs. In © 
the lower part of the head, its. mouth or 
trunk lay hidden in an oblong cafe. On each 
fide, near the head, appeared the horns 44, 
elegantly compofed, as it were, of little joints 
ot knots. Near thefe was feen the firft pair of 
legs ; and under the latter another pair, out of 
which projected ce two briftly hairs like two 
crooked prickles. Below thefe legs appeared 
the fheaths or cafes of the wings ; which pro- 
ceeding from the back and bending, lay along 
upon the belly, and were beautifully divided 
with ribs dd.’ Underneath them lay the mem- 
branous wings themfelves, enclofed ina mem~- 
brane ; immediately under the cafes, the bend- 
ing of the third pair of legs thewed itfelf: and 
this pair alfo was armed ee with rigid briftly 
hairs. Next followed the rings of the body, 
and fome prickles f projecting out of the tail ; 
by the help of thefe the Beetle probably pierces 
the leaves. But this is merely conjectural ; nor 
have I obferved it, being then engaged in other 
bufineds. 
On the 30th of Auguft, one of thefe Nymphs - 
was changed into a Beetle, Fig. x11. after it had 
fome days worn the appearance of a beautiful — 
Nymph. When at the fame time, I opened 
fome other fpots of the Willow-leaves; a great 
number of Nymphs prefented themfelves on the 
infide; which when, after cafting their skin, they 
were changed into Beetles, I obferved, eat thro’ 
the leaves, and made very confpicuous holes. 
I have been informed by many travellers, 
that in hot climates, Worms are found in leaves 
an inch long: on thefe many fine experiments 
might have been made, if the inhabitants of 
thofe places had not Jaboured under the curfed 
thirft of gold, and prematurely broken the 
thread of life with intemperance. This Bee- 
tle is divided into a very beautiful head, thorax 
and tail. ‘The eyes are very black, ofa reticu- 
lated 
