The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1806-09-02

by Mons. de Sales, Frenehuan. Some of his de-
pendants now live there, aud there are French cannon
now there which they brought, with the engrayings
Of Louis xiv ON them"
A Letter from DR.. Vaughan, of the nate of Della
ware,to DIR. Barton of Pkiladelpha.
HIiningtor, A4gya |, 1906.
DEAR SrR-Your attention Il all fIbie6ls of ma
tral hisory, and your minute knowledge of tina. beau
tiful fcence, induce to addrefs you with Glmma
~ account ui-tamorPnoics OF rne Poplar Cat,
terpillar; which, Ike the Sphinx of Britanny, had
iPread terror and dimay in many parts Of co1u-
try, though unaccompaned by epidemic penieuce
With us however this harmless infect was conten,no
rary with vernal bilious fever, of mild grade.
" The general enrioGty aud alarm, together with
the contradictory accounts OF experimentalits though
preponderatirg the negative Gcale made il deGra
bleto know whether this fulpeaed infect would par
the regular netamorphoies of Lepidopterous infeas
or, as upPoed by DR.. Davidge, of Baltimore would
perth III the Chryialis rate; and thus by an unufu.
al DEATH feal the apprehension of its venimous nature
With this view obtained one of thofe caterpiIars
ION the 9th Juy) of about three inches in length and
after provoking to bite fevera animals without inu-
ry TO them, put 1t into wide-mouthed bottle with
ioue leaves from its favourlte tree For two DAYS il
ieemed torpid, and apprehended thad been injured
by our efforts to make bite the animals of experi-
ments; but on the 10th it mad formed ftrong iiken
invetture, reembng the coque of the fix worn, 70 as
to incaie itfe the iide Of the bottles which was
| lhredded over with ibrils of the fame iikcn wei,
| but leaving the worm diana in the new CELL The
Preparations for the change of being was now made
and the provdent infed ceaed from its labours for
two or three days more. 1t then fewed violent con-
tortions OF body, denoting It's immediately paiIing
into the chryfalis fate, and gradually covered
over with gutinous emulation, and contracted irfelf
| to an inch and quarter in length.
The fhape of the chryfalid was at firit eylndri-
cal and fortly divided by deeply irnpreiiei ring,
az about rnreefftns ieHgth ana the tail part
Undivided by three rings, terminating in cone,
and this crutaeous covering foon hardened 70 as to
be inpervous. This fhell, which was at once both
the coffin ofthe caterpillar and the cradle Of the but
terhy, gradually changed in coler, unit il it became
complete aurelia.
! Alternately hoping and doubling on the fate of
my ehryiad, was this morning delighted to find the
door OF the gaol opened, and the prfoner evolved
large and beautiful butterfly, ready to take fight
Whiting to examine the fheIl and the coqne he had
left, and iuPpoing him too weak to efcape cauti-
only broke of the bottom OF the bottle, and 10 the
furPre offevera gentlemen prefent, he few around
| the room, with the greatea cafe and activity we
caught him with iome difficulty, and once more CON-
ined him to perfectly transparent bottle, 10 be the
iub1ect OF new Investigations.
' The character of this metamorphofed caterpillar
are not tricty conforuable to hole of the common
butterfly. The head is fnal, the eyes large promi-
nent and nearly fperical the prohofcis cured. The
cofelet is large, fod and the back part arched and
the colour of the aurelia. The body large, of duff
Ky colour, gradually terminating in cone and thick
~ covered with ky down. The legs are fix in nam
ber fetaeeous and pe6tnated the fore legs longer
than ulua. The attenus are long, aud not clsyated
but hform, like the moth. The wings four in Num-
ber aud the 'front.' hyperion pair, large, horizon
tai, and OF dulsy hue, variegited with black the
interior part yellow, trsnlverle band OF black Ge
the fphinr)
The red or blood coloured faces which is depo6t I'd
early in the butterfly tate and which has in pal a.
ges, exctedfu conformation in the minds of the fu
perttous, was in drops on the fde Of the vial M.
Reaumerr informs u.s. that all butterflies which pro-
coed from hairy caterpilars, void one or more drop,
OF blood coloured fluid and the number of tbele
drops which have fell upon the earth in fonIe places
have been deemed nsthing efs than miraculous rain
luminous Of the impending frowns of heaven. NJ de
Perefe records Htance Of this fort which
at AK. Gregory Tours mentions mower of blood
which fell i'll the time Of Cbilderber and another was
obierved in the reign Of Robert (Smce's p N, Hif.
tory)
Your critical knowledge of natural hinory will en-
able you to correct any impcrfeeion in this hally ae
count Of the dreaded but harmless caterpillar, in his
trsnsforniations perfsa animal For If thew pe-
rim in a ohryfalis Rate, the fpeoies would be extnd
with the feston. The reatoD fone ehryfaids perth
in the torpid fate imputed certain fpceies OF
fly making il; way into their bodies, while in the
worm ate and depoiting their eggs and though the
caterpillar he netamorphofed into ehryCaIid, the
parts e;Dtia to progreaiye life are deRroyed by the
lsrvr Of the Ay, and the chryfalid perifhes.
d" am, dear Sir,
"With great Eileen and regard,
I" Your obedient fervant
fOIIN VATTCtIANJ