NATURAL HISTORY, $3 
The animal, when thus fet free from its double confinement, ap- — 
Sars exhaufted with fatigue, and feems produced for no other purpofe 
ut to tran{mit a future brood. It neither flies nor eats; the male only 
ceking the female, whofe eggs he impregnates; and their union con- 
Unues for four days, without interruption. The male dies immediately 
after feparation from his mate; and fhe furvives him only till fhe has 
aid her eggs, which are not hatched into worms till the enfuing f{pring. 
owever, there are few of thefe animals fuffered to come to a ftate 
of maturity ; for as their burfting through the cone deftroys the filk, 
te manufadurers take care to kill the aurelia, by expofing it to the 
Un, before the moth comes to perfection. ‘This done, they take off the 
ofs, and throw the cones into warm water, ftirring them till the fir . 
thread offers them a clue for winding all off. ‘They generally take 
ae of the filken threads together; the cones fill kept under water, 
ull a proper quantity of the filk is wound off: however, they do not 
take all; for the latter parts grow weak, and are of a bad colour. As 
to the paper-like fubftance which remains, fome ftain it with a variety 
%f colours, to make artificial flowers, others let it lie in the water, till 
the glutinous matter which cements it is all diffolved: it is then carded 
ike ‘wool, {pun with a wheel, and converted into filk ftuffs of an inte 
flor kind, : : 
Co. Bethe eo: SUE 
OF FLY INSECTS WITH FOUR MEMBRANACEOUS WINGS. 
"TBE Tenthredo is diftinguifhed from others of this kind, by the 
female having a ferrated weapon or fting at the tail, and the 
Worm from which it proceeds, has feveral feet. Linnaeus diftinguifhes 
them into that clavated with feelers; that of the willow-tree; that of 
he poplar-tree; that of fig-wort; that of the rofe; and that of the 
Itds cherry-tree. 
The black Tenthredo with clavated feelers, is nearly of the fize of a 
Hornet, and the body is black and hairy, only the third, fourth, and 
th joints, are of an iron-grey. ‘The wings are thin and tranfparent, 
and the legs black, but the feet are yellow within, and the feelers are 
Yellow, except at the loweft joint, which is black. ‘here are a few 
dark grey nerves in the wings, and the wings themfelves are of a brown- 
"h tincture towards the outer edge. The worm it proceeds from, is 
Mooth and green, only there is a black lift down the back, edged with 
llow ; it has twefity-eight legs, and often rolls itfelf up. 
f Lhe black Yenthredo with feelers that have eleven joints, is of the 
‘Ze of a common Flie, and the wings have feveral veins; there are 
“V0 black fpots, on the uppermoft of which, that neareft the breaft, is 
"the fhape of a half-moon, but the other is round, and near it, to- 
Wards the top, there is one that is white. / lpia 
The yellow. legged Tenthredo is not much larger than a Flea, though 
he ender feelers are compefed of ten joints. “The head and breaft are 
: eas we es below, 
