and diftant periods, viz. one-third of them the fpring following
their change, one-third more the fucceeding fpring, and the
remainder the fpring after; making three years from their firft
hatching ; a further and manifeft proof of the beauty and wif-
dom of the laws o f Divine order, which are continually operating
for the belt interefts o f all created beings. As the transformation
o f infefts is retarded by cold, and accelerated by heat, the
ordinary period of thefe changes may fometimes be altered, by
placing them in different degrees of heat or cold ; by thefe they
may be awakened fooner to a new ftate o f exiftence, or kept in
one o f profound fleep.*
There are Tome caterpillars who remain in their cone eight or
nine months, before they become complete chryfalifes; fo that
their duration in the pupa ftate is much fhorter than it naturally
appears to be.
As foon as the moth acquires fufficient ftrength to break the
bonds which furround it, and of which it is informed by it’s
internal fenfations, it makes a powerful effort to efcape from it’s
prifon, and view the world with new-formed eyes. The moth
frees itfelf from the pupa with much greater eafe than the pupa
from the caterpillar; for the cafe of the pupa becomes fo dry,
when the moth is near the time o f throwing off it’s covering, that
it will break to pieces i f it be only gently preffed between the
fingers-; and very few o f the parts will be found, on examination,
to adhere to the body. Hence when the infeft has acquired a
proper degree of folidity, it does not require any great exertion
to fplit the membrane which covers it. A fmall degree of
motion,
* Reaumur Memoires fur les Infe&es, tom. 2, mem. 1.
motion, or a little inflation of the body, is fufficient for this purpofe;
thefe motions reiterated a few times, enlarge the hole, and afford
the moth room to efcape from' it’s confinement. The opening
through which they pafs is always at the fame part of the flun, a
little above the trunk, between the wings and a fmall piece which
covers the head; the different fiffures are generally made m the
fame direffion. I f the outer cafe is opened, it is eafy to ilc o v e r
the efforts the infea makes to emancipate itfelf from its fhell;
when the operation begins, there Teems to be a violent agitation
in the humours contained in the little animal; the fluids feem to
be driven with rapidity through all the veffels, and it is feen to
agitate it’s legs, &c.r as it were ftruggling to get free; thefe
efforts, as we have already faid, foon break its brittle fkm.
The loofening the exterior bands o f the pupa is not the only
difficulty many moths have to encounter with ; it has often alfo
to pierce the cone, or cafe, in which it has been inclofed, and
, J , , a time when i f . member, me »ery feeble when it « no
longer furnilhed with fcong jaw. to p.erce and cut . . . way
t h r L h , but, by the regnl.r law. of D.vme order mean, me
furnilhed to ever, creature o f a,taming the end for whtch.. war
produced, thn., in the. prefen. cafe, feme.of thefe mfcfb ™
provided with a liquor with which they fof.en and weaken the
end Of .he cone ; feme leave one end feeble, and dole t. only
wid. a few threads, fo .hat a flight effort o f the head enable, die
moth to burft the prifon doors, and immerge into day.
When the moth firft fees the day, it is humid and moift; -but
this humidity foon evaporates, the interior parts dry and harden
tms nu y _ r ____ . rr,imnled. or thick