68 NATURAL HISTORY. 
_ relia, in the beginning of {pring ; or a butterfly that has fubfifted du< 
ring the winter, and lays eggs as foon as the leaves of plants are fhot 
forward, the whole fwarms of caterpillars are in motion to fhare the 
banquet that. Nature has provided. There is fearce a plant that has 
not its own peculiar infeéts ; and fome are known to fupport feveral of 
different kinds, Of thefe, many are hatched from the egg, at the foot 
of the tree, and climb up to its leaves for fubfiftence: the eggs of 0- 
thers, have been glued by the parent butterfly to the leaves; and they 
are no fooner excluded from the fhell, but they find themfelves in the 
midft of plenty. é 
When the caterpillar firft burfts from the egg, it is fmall and feeble; 
its appetites are in proportion to its fize, and it feems to make no great 
confumption: but as it increafes in magnitude, it improves in its ap- 
petites ; fo that, in its adult caterpillar ftate, it is the moft ravenous 0 
all animals whatfoever. A fingle caterpillar will eat double its own 
weight of leaves in a day, and yet feems no way difordered by thé 
meal.—What would mankind do, if their oxen or their horfes were {0 
voracious ! : 
Thefe voracious habits, with its flow crawling motion, but ftill moré 
a ftinging like that of nettles, which follows upon handling the greatelt 
number of them, make thefe infects not the moft agreeable objeéts © 
human curiofity. However, there are many philofophers who havé 
{pent years in their contemplation; and who have not only attended 
to their habits and labours, but minutely examined their ftruéturé 
and internal conformation. ’ 
The body of the caterpillar, when anatomically confidered, is found 
compofed of rings, whofe circumference is pretty near circular or oval. 
‘They are generally twelve in number, and are membraneous; by which 
caterpillars may be diftinguifhed from many other infects, that nearly 
refemble them in form. ‘The head of the caterpillar is conne4ed 10 
the firft ring by the neck; that is generally fo thort and contradeds 
that it is fcarce vifible. All the covering of the head in caterpillar$ 
feems to confilt of a fhell; and they have neither upper nor under jaws 
for they are both placed rather vertically, and each jaw armed with 4 
large thick tooth, which is fingly equal to numbers. With thefe thé 
animals devour their food in fuch amazing quantities ; and with thefer 
fome of the kind defend themfelves againft their enemies. Thougl 
the mouth be kept fhut, the teeth are always uncovered; and whilé 
the infect is in health, they are feldom without employment. What 
ever the caterpillar devours, thefe teeth ferve to chop it,into fmall piece 
and render the parts of the leaf fit for fwallowing. Many kinds, whilé 
they are yet young, eat not only the fucculent part of the leaf, and 
leave all the fibres untouched ; others, however, attack the whole leah 
and eat it clean away. One may be amuled, for a little time, in ob’ 
ferving the avidity with which they are feen to feed; fome are fee? 
eating the whole day; others have their hours of repaft; fome chufe thé 
night others the day. When the caterpillar attacks a leaf, it places iv 
body in fuch a manner that the edge of the leaf fhall fall between i# 
feet, which keeps it fleady, while the teeth are employed in cutting i 
thefe fall upon the leaf, fomewhat in the manner of a pair of garde™ 
er’s fheers ; and every morfel is fwallowed as foon as cut. Some c# 
: terpilla® 
