ee] 
IV. NevRoPTERA. Wings four, naked, tranfparent, reticu- 
lated, with veins or nerves. Tail without fting. 
V. HyMENOPTERA. Wings four. Membraneous. Tail 
of the female armed with a fling. 
VI. DipTERA. Wings two. 
VII. ApTERA. No wings. 
TRANSFORMATIONS OF INSECTS, 
Many of our readers are no doubt acquainted with the fingular 
transformations Infe&s undergo, but we truft thofe will pardon a 
digreffion which may be ufeful to thofe who have not that knowledge; 
and without premifing farther we proceed to inform them, that Infeés 
in general undergo a material change in their form at flatéd periods 
of their lives; there are fome, though few, which burft forth from 
the egg perfeéily formed, as Spiders, &c, but the greater part exift 
jn four feveral ftates: the firft that of the egg, whence the Larva, or 
Caterpillar is produced ; it is at firft very minute, but in this flate it 
feeds, fome kinds on one or two plants only, others promifcuoufly on 
many, they therefore continue to increafe in fize, moulting feveral 
times the outer fkin, until the deftined period of their dormant ftate 
approaches ; they then {pin a web more or lefs ftrong according to the 
{pecies, and are converted into the aurelia, or chryfalis ; and laftly 
they burft forth in due feafon perfeéily formed. It is under this 
form they propagate a future race, and themfelves perifh, as they 
rarely furvive the inclemencies of the winter. 
The antient naturalifts held {uppofitions very imperfe& and erro- 
neous relative to thofe transformations, but Malpighi and Swammer- 
dam proved by many accurate examinations clearly, that thofe changes 
were not fuddenly effeéted, but gradual; and that under the form of © 
‘the Caterpillar they could diftinguifh the future changes the Infeé 
would undergo, 
ry 
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