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Show INSt:C'l' A. 172 f th perfect I nsect, an d .ceet which correspon<l to the legs o e nes the two last of 1' ' . . 1 mbranous o ' from four to ten additwna me . xtremity of the body, which are s.i tuate d a t the posteriOr te . or twelve .t n al l , h ave h" h have but en near the anus; those w IC 881· on treometrre. They . de of progre 'o been called, from their m.o. with their squamous feet, and cling to the plane of pasitlO~ nents of the body in the . . t rmediate segt , . d f then elevatmg the m e . te the two hln eet to kl approx1ma . form of a ring or buc . e, the latter, hold on W\th the the preceding ones, dts~ngabged forwards to recommence the last feet, an d mo ve thei1r fo t hYe se geometrre, w h en at rest ' same operati·O n. Severa 0 f h" d .c t l 1 nts by the m 1ee a one, d tl branches o p a . b d h remain fixe to le d direction of thetr o Y t ey where m. t h e .tco r m' colour an t themselves I. n t h" .. IS position ' . . they can suppor f resemble a twtg' . h"b"t" g the slightest symptom o . without ex 1 1 m .. for a long tl.me: . ude must require prodigiOus museu· life. So fattgumg an atttt nted Pour thousand and d . f ct Lyonet cou J' • }ar force, an tn a "liar of the Cossus ligniperda. l · the caterp1 . +'orty-one muse es In "xteen feet but of whtch J' • • th fourteen or Sl ' Some caterp~llars WI • embranous ones are shorter than some of the mtermedla~al~d 'Jseudo-geometrre. The mem· the others, have been 1 1 . ated by a more or less com· branous feet are frequent y termin Plete crown of little hooks. nerally elongated, almost b d f these larvre are ge d The o Y o . 1 d sometimes naked, an . 1 ft variously co oure ' . I . cylindrica ' so ' . h . tubercles and spmes. t 18 somet.i mes covere d w1th aus, l"I exclusive of the he ad' f 1 segments or annu ' . h composed o twe ve . d Their head is invested Wlt with n.m e st·i gma ta on each s1 e.. d presents on each 'd Sl e iUS derm1s an a corneous or squamo ' to be ocelli; it is also fur· six shining granules, which apdpear ·cal antennre and a mouth . hort an cont ' nished With two very s . . "}}on a labium and four ndtbles two maxl Q.J' composed of strong ma ' l . elaborated in two long · Th ilk they emp oy ts small pal pl. e s 1 f h" ch the attenuated supe· and tortuous internal .vesse .s' ~ 7- 1 A tubular and conical rior extremities term mate m t he I Ph: h the threads are spun. . · h · dle throug w IC mammilla lS t e sptn 1 f plants. some gnaw Most caterpillars feed on the eaves o ' LEPIDOPTEU.A. 173 their flowers, roots, buds and seeds ; others attack the ligneous or hardest part of trees, softening it by means of a fluid which they disgorge. Certain species attack our woollens and furs, thereby doing us much injury: even our leather, bacon, wax and lard are not spared by them. Several confine themselves exclusively to a single article of diet; others are less delicate, and devour a11 sorts of matters( I). Some of them form societies, and frequently live under a silken tent, spun by them in common, which even shelters them during the winter. Several construct sheaths for themselves, either fixed or portable. Others make their abode in 'the parenchyma of leaves, where they form galleries. The greater number are diurnal. The others never issue forth but at night. The severity of winter, so fatal to almost a11 Insects, does not affect certain Phalrenre, which only appear in that season. Caterpi11ars usually change their skin four times, previously to passing into the state of a nymph or chrysalis. Most of them spin a cocoon in which they enclose themselves. A frequently reddish liquor or sort of meconium, which Lepidopterous Insects eject per anum, at the moment of their metamorphosis, softens or weakens the extremity of the cocoon, and facilitates their exit ; one of these extremities also is generally thinner than the other, or presents a favourable issue by the peculiar disposition of the fibres. Other caterpillars are contented with connecting leaves, particles of earth, or of the substances on which they have lived, and thus forming a rude c9coon. The chrysalides of the Diurnal Lepidoptera, ornamented with golden spots, whence the term chrysalis, are naked and fixed by the posterior extremity of the body. The nymphs of the Lepidoptera present a special character of which we have spoken in our general observations on th~ ~~~.One of the most evident proofs of the divine providence is the perfect ~o~nc1dence of the appearance of the caterpillal' with that of the plant on which 1t 1s to feed. |