. Anecdotes of remarkable insects : selected from natural history, and interspersed with poetry. ring from the timK 3 10^ THE WALKING LEAF. This appeared to me so very extraordinary,that I thought it worth my while suddenlyto quit my verdant bower, in order to con-template it; and I could scarcely believemy eyes, when I saw a live insect, in shapeand colour resembling the fragment of awithered leaf, with the edges turned up, andeaten away as it were by caterpillars, and atthe same time all over beset with , by this peculiar form, has certainlyextremely well defended and conceale
. Anecdotes of remarkable insects : selected from natural history, and interspersed with poetry. ring from the timK 3 10^ THE WALKING LEAF. This appeared to me so very extraordinary,that I thought it worth my while suddenlyto quit my verdant bower, in order to con-template it; and I could scarcely believemy eyes, when I saw a live insect, in shapeand colour resembling the fragment of awithered leaf, with the edges turned up, andeaten away as it were by caterpillars, and atthe same time all over beset with , by this peculiar form, has certainlyextremely well defended and concealed, as ina mask, this insect from birds and its otherdiminutive foes; in all probability with aview to preserve it, and employ it for someimportant office in the system of her economy,^a system with which we are too little ac-quainted, in general too little investigated;and which, in every part of it, we can neversufficiently admire with that respect andveneration which we owe to the great Authorof Nature and ruler of the Universe. the grasshopper. 103 The Cicada, or Chirping-Grass- - This is the insect so often commemoratedby the ancient poets, and so generally con-founded by the major part of translators withthe Grasshopper. It is a native of thewarmer parts of Europe, particularly ofGreece and Italy : appears in the hottermonths of summer, and continuing its shrillchirping during the greatest part of the day,generally sitting among the leaves of trees,near the ground. H 104? THE GRASSHOPPER. The ancients differ in their opinions rela-tive to the Cicada. Virgil speaks of themas insects of a disagreeable and striduloustone. On the contrary, Anacreon compli-ments them on their musical note, and makesthe Cicada a favourite of Apollo. To the Grasshopper. Happy Insect! blithe and gaySeated on the sunny spray, And drunk with dew, the leases anionjSinging sweet thy chirping song. All the various seasons treasures,All the products of the plains, Thus lie open to thy pleasures
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, booksubjectinsects, booksubjectnaturalhistory
