Natural history of insects : comprising their architecture, transformations, senses, food, habits--collection, preservation and arrangement . d fifty-five times heavier than at itsbirth Some larva3 have feet, others are without:none have wings. They cannot propagate. They feedvoraciously on coarse substances; and as they increasein size, do very rapidly, they cast their skins-three or four times. In defending themselves frominjury, and in preparing for their change by the con-struction of secure abodes, they manifest great inge-nuity and mechanical skill. The figures on the pre-cedi
Natural history of insects : comprising their architecture, transformations, senses, food, habits--collection, preservation and arrangement . d fifty-five times heavier than at itsbirth Some larva3 have feet, others are without:none have wings. They cannot propagate. They feedvoraciously on coarse substances; and as they increasein size, do very rapidly, they cast their skins-three or four times. In defending themselves frominjury, and in preparing for their change by the con-struction of secure abodes, they manifest great inge-nuity and mechanical skill. The figures on the pre-ceding page, exemplify various forms of insects in thisstage of their existence. When larvae are full grown, they cast their skinsfor the last time, undergo a complete change of form,and, with a few exceptions, cease to eat, and remainnearly motionless. When an insect, after this change,does not lose its legs, or continues to eat and move,it is popularly called a JYijmjik; and when the innerskin of the larva is converted into a membranous orleathery covering, which wraps the insect closely uplike a mummy, it is termed Pupa^ from its resem-. Pupce or Chrysalides. blance to an infant in swaddling bands. From thepupa) of many of the butterflies appearing gilt as if 22 INSECT ARCHITECTURE. with gold, the Greeks called them Chrijsalides, andthe Romans Aurelice, and hence natiiraUsts frequentlycall a pupa chrysalis^ even when it is not gilt. Weshall see, as we proceed, the curious contrivances re-sorted to for protecting insects in this helpless a certain time, the insect which has re-mained in its pupa-case, like a mass of jelly withoutshape, is gradually preparing for its final change,when it takes the form of a perfect insect. Thisstate was called by Linnaeus, Imago, because theinsect, having thrown off its mask, becomes a per-fect image of its species. Of some, this last por-tion of their existence is very short, others hve
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookidnaturalhistoryof01bos, booksubjectinsects
