|
Pliny holds an opinion, that many have their birth, or being, from
a dew
that in the spring falls upon the leaves of trees; and that some
kinds of
them are from a dew left upon herbs or flowers; and others from
a dew
left upon coleworts or cabbages: all which kinds of dews being
thickened and condensed, are by the sun's generative heat, most
of
them, hatched, and in three days made living creatures. and these
of
several shapes and colours; some being hard and tough, some smooth
and soft; some are horned in their head, some in their tail, some
have
none; some have hair, some none: some have sixteen feet, some less,
and some have none: but, as our Topsel hath with great diligence
observed, those which have none, move upon the earth, or upon broad
leaves, their motion being not unlike to the waves of the sea. Some
of
them he also observes to be bred of the eggs of other caterpillars,
and
that those in their time turn to be butterflies; and again, that
their eggs
turn the following year to be caterpillars And some affirm, that
every
plant has its particular fly or caterpillar, which it breeds and
feeds. I
have seen, and may therefore affirm it, a green caterpillar, or
worm, as
big as a small peascod, which had fourteen legs; eight on the belly,
four
under the neck, and two near the tail. It was found on a hedge of
privet;
and was taken thence, and put into a large box, and a little branch
or
two of privet put to it, on which I saw it feed as sharply as a
dog gnaws
a bone: it lived thus, five or six days, and thrived, and changed
the
colour two or three times but by some neglect in the keeper of it,
it then
died and did not turn to a fly: but if it had lived, it had doubtless
turned
to one of those flies that some call Flies of prey, which those
that walk
by the rivers may, in summer, see fasten on smaller flies, and,
I think,
make them their food. And 'tis observable, that as there be these
flies of
prey, which be very large; so there be others, very little, created,
I think,
only to feed them, and breed out of I know not what; whose life,
they
say, nature intended not to exceed an hour; and yet that life is
thus
made shorter by other flies, or accident.
|
|
|
|
|
