open it’s inner coat, and cafting it off, efcapes from the prifon in
which it was entombed, in the form o f a beautiful fly. It is to be
obferved here,'that there is nothing, accidental in the breaking o f
the outermoftfkin; but it is perfectly ordained by a conftant
order, always happening in the fame manner in all thefe changes:
the ffcin alfo is, in thofe places where it is broke open, fo circum-
ftanced by the Anther o f nature, as i f joined together by futures.
When the wings are expanded, the little creature immediately
enters into another ftate of life: for the infect that lived before
in water and mud, now vifits the fields and meadows, being
tranfported through the air on it’s elegant wings.*
The larva a queue de r a t f (mufea pendula, Lin.) is alfo transformed
under the fkin, which hardens, and forms a cafe or
general covering to the pupa: two horns are pufhed out, while it
is in this ftate, from the interior parts ; they ferve the purpofe o f
refpiratien: this larva will be more particularly defcribed in a
fubfequent part o f this chapter.
The infers in this clafs, that is, thofe that pafs into the pupa
ftate under the fkin o f the larva, go through a change more
(according to M. de Reaumur) than the caterpillar, undergoing
a change while under their fkin, before they affume the pupa
form.. E -
The aquatic larva o f the mufea chameleon retains it’s form to
the laft; but there are many infefts that are transformed under
their.
* Swammerdam’s Book of Nature, pt. 2, p. 5S.
t Reaum. 8vo. edit. tom. 4, pt. * , nmern. p. 199, plate 30 and;3i .
their fkin, which form a cone or cafe for the pupa. In thefe
the larva lofes firft it’s length; the body becoming fhorter,
affumes the figure of an e g g ; and the fkin forms a hard and cruf-
taceous cafe, or folid lodging, for the embryo infeft.
O f t h e L i b e l l u l a .
In the libellula, or dragon fly, we have an inftance of thofe infers
who are termed in the pupa ftate femicompleta, that is, who
proceed from the egg in the figure which they preferve, till the
time comes of afluming their wings, and who walk, aft, and eat,
as well till that period as afterwards.
O f all the flies which adorn or diverfify the face of nature,
there are few, i f any, more beautiful than the libellula: “ they
are almoft o f all colours, green, blue, crimfon, fcarlet, and
white; fome unite a variety of the moft vivid tints, and exhibit,
in one animal, more different (hades than are to be found in the
rainbow.” The larva of the libellula is an inhabitant o f the
water, the fly itfelf is generally found hovering on the borders
thereof.
Thefe infects are produced from an egg which is depolited in
the water by the parent; the egg links to the bottom, and remains
there till the young infeft finds ftrength to break the {hell.
The larva is hexapode, and is not quite fo long as the f ly ; on
the trunk are' four prominencies,,-or little bunches, which become
more apparent, in proportion as the larva inepeafes in fize and
changes it’s fkin. Thefe bunches contain the rudiments o f the
wings, which adorn the infeft when in it’s perfeft ftate.
6 The