their laft integuments, which is performed exaftly in the fame
maimer as; in the paffage of the infeB from, the ktva. to the pupa
ftate fo. that in this laft {kin, which is extremely delicate, the
traces of the pulmonary tubes, that have been pulled off and turned
out, again become vifible.
All parts of the infecl, and more particularly the wings and
their cafes, are at this time {welled and extended, by the air and
fluids, which are driven into them through the arteries and; pulmonary
tubes; the wings, are at this period foft as wet paper,, and
the blood iffues from them on the lead wound; but when they
have acquired their proper eonfifteney, which in the elytra is very
confiderable, they will not give the leaf! fign of any fluid within
them, though cut or torn almoft afunder;
The pupa being difengaged from it’s fkin, affumes a different
form, in which it is dignified with the name o f a beetle, with a
difference o f fex, being either male or female..
The infeS now begins to enjoy a life far preferable to it’s former
ftate o f exiftence; from living in dirt and filth, under briars
and thorns, it now raifes itfelf towards the {kies; and fuftains
itfelf with the oozing liquors of flowery.
O f the M usca Chameleon.
We proceed to illuftrate the nature of the different transformations
in infefls, by giving an account o f the mufca chameleon.
in the worm or larva condition it lives in the water, breathes by
the tail, and carries it’s legs within a little fnout near it’s mouth.
When i* is arrived at the time for it’s pupa ftate,- it goes through
the change without eating off the fkin of the larva. Laftly, in
the imago, or fly ftate, it would infallibly perifli in the water;
the element, which had hitherto {applied it with life and motion,
would now be it’s immediate deftruftion.
This infeft is characterized by Linnaeus as mufca chamadeon.
Habitat larva in aquis duleibu's'; mufca fupra- aquam obambulare
fotet. In a former edition of the Fauna Suecica he called it
oeftrus aquae; but on a more minute examination, he found it was
a mufca; befides, the larvae of all known oeftri are nouriflied in
the bodies of animals.
The larva o f this infeft, when viewed by the naked eye, appears
to confift o f twelve annular divifions, fee Plate XI. Fig. 1 ;
by thefe it is feparated into a head, thorax, and abdomen; but
as theftomach and inteftines lie equally in the thorax and abdomen,
it is not eafy to diftinguifh their limits until the infeft
approaches the pupa ftate.
The parts mall worthy o f notice, when this infect is viewed by
the naked eye; are the tail and fnout. The tail is furniflied with
an elegant crown or circle o f hair b, difpofed quite round it in'aii
annular form ; by means o f this the tail is fupported on the fur-
face o f the water while the worm or larva is moving therein, the
body in the mean while hanging towards the bottom; it will
fometimes remain in this fituation for a confiderable time, without
the leaft fenfible motion, When it has a mind to fink to the bottom
by means of it’s tail, it generally bends the hairs o f that part
towards each other in the middle, but- much clofer- towards the
6 extremity