: NATURAL HISTORY. : 8 
not thole of willow upoi cabbages. The moths delights to be among 
Curtains, woollen ftuffs, of Papers, but never upon plants, nor in muds 
Hor yet in corrupted aliments; and yet the contrary happeris to fliess 
who lay their eggs in fleth; arid therefore, it is plain, it is infting, and 
hot chance that direéts their choite. ‘That this does fot arife from the 
corruption of the flefh is plain, from the following experiment } take a 
bit of beef freth killed, ahd put it into an open veffel, another into a 
clean one tévered Over with a piece of filk, fo thin as to let in the air, 
and yet thick enough to hinder the eggs of the flie from pafling through 
it, and you will find the fir bit produce maggots as ufual, whereas 
the fecond will be entirely without ; however, the flies being attracted 
by the finell, wil} come in crowds to the, covering, and endeavour to 
enter in, and perhaps lay fome of their eggs upon the filk, but they 
will penetrate no farther ; ftom whence it is plain, that corruption pro- 
duces nothing. : : ; cree 
When fome of thefe eggs are hatched, the yoitng will appear in their 
perfe& form, which they never change afterwards. Thus, fnails come 
into the world with their houfes on their backs, and continue always 
in the fame fhape, as well as that of the houfes; for they grow in pro- 
Portion to the animal itfelf. Such likewife are Spiders; which proceed 
from their €ggs completely formed; and change nothing afterwards 
but their fizes. But the greateft part of other infects pafs through dif- 
ferent fates, and aflume {ucceflively the figure of two or three animals 
which have no refemblance to each other. aaa 
_. Many infe&s when they proceed from their eggs, appedr to be nothing 
elfe but a fort of Worms, fome without feet and others with; thofe 
without feet are under the care of their dams, which fupply them with 
food, if they are not hiatched in a place where they find nourifhment: 
Thofe with feets go of their own accord to fearch for food on the leaves 
of the tre, that is moft fuitable to their nature; which is the very fame 
where the dams laid their eggs. Thefe grow fenfible in a fhort time, 
and fome of them throw off their old covering five or fix times, and 
feem to grow young again, by having a new fkin. Thefe ai! pafs 
through the middle ftate; which is thatrof a Nymph or Chryfalis; but 
this wants explanation. The Caterpillar firf leaves off feeding, and 
inclofés itfelf in a fort of coffin, which is different in the different kinds: 
This covering preferves them from external injuries, till they acquire a 
new form. Thefe have the fame of Nymphs, and then they aflume 
all the beautiful colours which adorn the various kinds: Some then 
call it an Aurelia, or Golden Nymph, becaufe the covering which is 
more or lefs hardy affumes a colour as fhining as gold. Some call this 
Sovering a Cod, efpecially when it is applied to a Silk Worm, 
_ The laf Rate or metamorphofis, is when théy arifé out of their cof: 
fin, and become flying infeéts § for that which was a worm before is 
deftroyed,: or rather turns into a fly. There are fome infects that live 
Only upon greens, and others that fed on hothing but Wood. It is 
now generally believed, that there is another fort which are nourithed 
even in ftones themfelves 3 however, it is more certain, that there aré 
many which’ never appear out of the water. There are reckoned nd 
tefs than three hundred Kinds of Caterpillars which aré already known}; 
and the curious are ftill making new difcoverieg: their thape, their ¢o: 
Soury their inclinations, and their manner of living, diftinguifies' thé’ 
y - feveral 
