NATURAL HISTORY. Bt 
feed, fhewing no figns of being incommoded by its new gucfts. The 
caterpillar changes its fkin ; and fometimes undergoes the great change 
Into an aurelia: but ftill the fatal intruders work within, and fecretly 
devour its internal fubftance : foon after they are feen burfting through 
its fkin, and moving away, in order to fpin themfelves a covering, pre- 
Vious to their own little transformation. It is indeed aftonifhing fome- 
times to fee the number of worms, and thofe pretty large, that thus 
Wfue from the body of a fingle caterpillar, and eat their way through 
its fkin: but it is more exttaordinary fill, that they fhould remain 
Within the. body, devouring its entrails, without deftroying its life. 
e truth is, they feem inflructed by Nature not to devour its vital parts 5 
for they are found to feed only upon that fatty fubftance which com- 
Pofes the largelt part of the caterpillar’s body. When this furpriling 
appearance was firft obferved, it was fuppofed that the animal thus 
Rave birth to a number of flies, different from itfelf; and that the fame 
Caterpillar foretimes bred an. ichneumon, and fometimes a butterfly : 
but it was not till after more careful infpe@tion, it was difcovered, that the 
ichneumon tribe were not the caterpillar’s offspring, but its murderers, 
Having before mentioned the damages inflicted by the caterpillar 
tribe, we now come to an animal of this kind, that alone compeniates 
for all the mifchief occafioned by the reft. This little creature, which 
Only works for itfelf, has been made of the utmoft fervice to man; and 
furnifhes him with a covering more beautiful than any other animal 
an fupply. We may declaim indeed againft the luxuries of the times, 
When filk is fo generally worn; but were fuch garments to fail, what 
Other arts could fupply their deficiency ? ; 
_ Though filk was anciently brought in fmall quantities to Rome, yet it 
Was fo fearce as to be fold for its weight in gold; and was confidered 
#8 fuch a luxurious refinement in drefs, that it was infamous for a man 
to appear in habbits of which filk formed but half the compofition. It 
Was moft probably brought among them from the remoteft parts of the 
Katt; fince it was, at the time of which I am fpeaking, fcarcely known 
-€Ven in Perfia. 
Nothing can be more remote from the truth, than the manner in 
Which their hiftorians defcribe the animal by which filk is produced. 
‘aufanius informs us, that filk came from the country of the Seres, 2 
People of Afiatic Scythia; in which place an imfedt, as large as the 
eetle, but in every. other refpect refembling a {pider, was bred up for ’ 
at purpofe. They take great care, as he affures us, to feed and de- 
fend it from the weather; as well during the fammer’s heat, as the 
Tgours of winter. This infect, he obferves, makes its web with its 
feet, of which it has eight.in number. It is fed, for the {pace of four. 
Years, upon a kind of patte, prepared for it; and at the beginning of 
the fifth, it is fupplied with the leaves of the green willow, of which it, 
18 Particularly fond. It then feeds till it burfts with fat; after which 
they take out its bowels; which are {pun into the beautiful manufacture 
°fearce and coltly. 
th he real hiftory of this animal was unknown among the Romans till 
€ times of Juftinian; and it is fuppofed, that filkworms were not 
Roughe into Europe till the beginning of the twelfth century, when 
Oger of Sicily brought workmen in this manufacture from Afia Minor; 
&r his return from his expedition ie the Holy Land, and fettled them: 
: in 
