NATURAL HISTORY. | "9 
tion dew; or the honey of flowers, yet it makes choice for ity young: 
of a different provifion, and lays its eggs on the moft unfavoury plants 5 
the rag-weed, the cabbage, or the nettle. Thus every butterfly chufes 
“Rot the plant moft grateful to it im its winged ftate ; but fuch as it has 
d upon in its reptile form. ‘ 
__ Allthe eggs of butterflies are attached to the leaves of the favourite’ 
flant, by a fort of fize or glue; where they continue, unobferved, un~ 
fs carefully fought after. The eggs are fometimes placed round 
the tender fhoots of plants, in the form of bracelets, confifting of above 
two hundred in each, and generally furrounding; the fhoot, like a ring, 
Upon a finger, Some butterflies fecure their eggs fronr the injuries 
®f air, by covering them with hair, plucked from their own: bodies, 
as birds fometimes are feen-to make their nefts ; fo that their eggs are 
thus kept warm, and alfo entirely concealed. 
All the tribe of female moths lay their eggs a fhort time after they 
leave the aurelia ;. but there are many butterflies that flutter about the’ 
whole fummer, and do not/think of laying, till the winter begins to’ 
Warn them: of their approaching end; fome even continue the whole’ 
Winter in hollows of trees, and do not provide for pofterity until the’ 
beginning of April, when they leave their retreats, depofit their eggs, 
and die, Their eggs foon begin to feel the genial influence of the fea- 
fon : the little animals burft from them in their caterpillar ftate, to be- 
tome aurelias, and butterflies in their turn; and thus continue the’ 
Yound of Nature. 
Nature, though: it has rendered fome animals furprifingly fruitful,- 
Yet ever takes care to prevent their too great increafe. “One fet of 
Sreatures is generally oppofed to another: and thofe are chiefly the’ 
®moft prolific, that are, from. their embecility, ineapable of making any’ 
effeGtual defence. The caterpillar has perhaps, of all other animals,: 
he greateft number of enemies; and feems only to exilt,. by its tur- 
Prifing fecundity. Some animals devour them by hundreds; others, 
More minute, yet more dangerous, mangle them in various ways: fo 
at, how great foever their numbers may be, their deitroyers are in’ 
€qual proportion. Indeed, if we contider the mifchiefs thefe reptiles are 
fapable of occafioning, and: the various damages we iuftain from their 
Mfatiable rapacity, it is happy for the other ranks ot Nature, that there 
are thoufands of fithes, birds, and even infects,: that live chiefly upon 
€aterpillars, and make them their moft favourite repaft. 
When we defcribed the little birds that live in our gardens, and 
Rear our houfes,. as deftructive neighbours, fufficient attention was net: 
Paid to the fervices which they are frequently found to render us. It 
as been proved, that a fingle {parrow and tts mate, that have young: 
nes, deftroy above three thoufand caterpillars:in a week; not to men= 
tion feveral butterflies, in. which numberlefs caterpillars are deftroyed- 
“Membryo. It is in. purfuit of thefe reptiles that we are favoured with’ 
the vifits of many of our moft beautiful fongiers ; that amuie us du- 
Mng their continuance and leave us when the caterpillars dilappear.. . 
The maxim which has often been urged againft man, that he, of allr 
ther animals, is the only creature that is an enemy to his own kind, 
nd that the human {pecies only are found to deftroy each other, has - 
Been adopted, by perfons who never confidered the hiftory of: infe@s. 
me of the caterpillar kind in particular, that feem fitted only to liva 
upom' 
