. Cuvier's animal kingdom : arranged according to its organization. Animals. 604 Fig. rJ6.—Caterpillar and Chrysalis of the Magpie Moth. their peculiar mode of walking. Seizing fast hold of the objects on which they are stationed with these six fore-legs, they elevate the intermediate segments of the body into an arch, until they bring the hind-feet close to the others; these they disengage, and, retaining hold with the hind feet, thrust forward the body to its full length, and then recommence the same manoeuvre. Many of these Looper- caterpillars resemble, iu their mode of standing,
. Cuvier's animal kingdom : arranged according to its organization. Animals. 604 Fig. rJ6.—Caterpillar and Chrysalis of the Magpie Moth. their peculiar mode of walking. Seizing fast hold of the objects on which they are stationed with these six fore-legs, they elevate the intermediate segments of the body into an arch, until they bring the hind-feet close to the others; these they disengage, and, retaining hold with the hind feet, thrust forward the body to its full length, and then recommence the same manoeuvre. Many of these Looper- caterpillars resemble, iu their mode of standing, fixed for a great length of time only by their hind legs to twigs, as well as in their form and colours, small pieces of stick. Such an attitude necessarily requires a prodigious muscular force, and Lyonnet has, in effect, discovered that the caterpillar of the Goat Moth posseses 4041 muscles. Some Caterpillars with fourteen or sixteen feet, (some of the intermediate membranous legs being, however, smaller than the others,) have been named Semi-geometers. The mem- branous feet are mostly terminated by a more or less perfect coronet of little hooks. The body of these larvse is generally long, subcylindric, soft, variously coloured, sometimes naked, and sometimes hairy, tubercled, or spined, and consists of twelve segments, exclusive of the head, with nine spiracles on each side ; the skull is horny or scaly, with six small granular shining points, which seem to be ocelli, on each side : it has moreover two very short conical antennze, a mouth composed of a pair of strong mandibles, two maxillae, a labium, and four small palpi ; the silky material which it uses is elaborated in two long, tortuous, internal vessels ; a tubular and conical point, situate at the tip of the labium, is the spinneret, whence the silk is discharged. The majority of Caterpillars feed upon the leaves of vegetables; others devour flowers, roots, buds, seeds ; others eat the hard and solid parts of the w
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1840, bookpublishe, booksubjectanimals
