Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1806-07-02

Gle caterpillar will eat double its own
weight of leavs in day, and yet seems
no way disordered by the meal. Many
kinds of caterpillArs, while they are yet
young, eat only the scculent part Of the
leaf, and leave all the fibres untouched
others however, attack the whole, and eat
it clean away. They feed with the great.
est ayidity some are seen eatingthe whole
day; others have their hours Of repast
some CHOOSE the night, and others the
day. The number of their feet are vari.
Gus; some have eight and some sixteen.
With regard To their external figure, they
are either smooth or hairy. There are
eighthcen holes on this insects BODY,
(nine on side) through which it is suppos-
ed to breathe these holes are nearer the
belly than the back. The life of the ca
terplllar seems one continued succession
OF changes and it is seen to throw off one
skin, only to assume another, which also
is Invested in its turn; and thus eight or
ten times successfully. This changing
OF the skin, however, is nothing in com.
parison with the great me,amorphoss
which it has to undergo into its aurelia
state; previous to which it forsakes its
food, and prepares, by fasting, to under
go its tranmutation. Stripped of Its skin
for the last time, it becomes an aurelia {;
in which the parts Of the future but.
terfly are all visible but in so soft state,
that the smallest touch can discompose
them. Immediately after its being strip.
ped of its caterpillar skin, it is of a green
color, especially in those parts which are
distendedby an extraordinary afflux of ani-
NAL moisture but in ten or twelve hours
after being thus exposed, its parts harden,
the air forms its external covering into a
firm ernst, and in about four. and twenty
hours, The aurelia may be handled with
out endangering the little animal that is
thus left in so defenceless situation.
For this description Of the Caterpillar,
we are indeb,ed to Goldsmith's Collie tion
Of Natural History.
Many persons seem to doubt whether
the Dinsecl which has caused such general
devastation, is really a caterpillar. On
this point, in our opinion, there can be no
doubt. The conformation of the head,
the rings on its body, the number of its
legs, (beiug sixseenO together with its
stgmata, or breathing holes, and its great
voraclousne.s, all prove beyond question,
that it is of The Caterpillar breed. In
this neighborhood the reptile feeds gene
rally in the night; retiring in the heat Of
the day 10 take shelter under the shade of
the stems OF the grain and grass.
In order otesi the famous experiment
of Malpighi, mentioned by Goldsmith,
relative 10 the" stigmata oe this animal,
We oiled the mouths of its lungs, or air.
holes, and in a very little time afterwards
the insect expired which seems to es.a.
blish the fact ,ha, by oiling those breath
ing places, the reptile becomes suffoca-
ted.
We understand that the CaterpiI,ars
are more troublesome in rich grounds
than in poor land. This has given occa-
sion for many TO suppose that the plais.
ter OF Paris has tendency TO produce
them. This notion, however, ought no,
to be lightly taken up; as, we believe,
there is nothing known to exist in plaister
friendly to their production, more than in
other kinds Of manure. Rich fieids( he.
Their MANFRED with plaisteror not) are most
likely to be infested with these insects,
from this consideration, viz. there is a
greater abundance of weeds and wild
flowers growing on them, from which
butterflies derive their food OF course
there would be greater likelihood oil
their deposiling their eggs in those fields
than elsewhere; and consequently there
would exist in those places a greater
quantity of Caterpillars,
But why are these insects more hume.
oous this year than in other years? A
very ingenious and intelligent gentleman
OF our acquaintance remarked, in re.
ply to this question, that the mildness oil
last winter, and the absence of those Sc.
we're frosts which usually accompany our
winters, must have been one great cause
OF the vast multitudes that have appeared
this season. Every season this insea
prevails, more or less; but we cannot
hear from my quarter, that within the
memory Of man, they have committed
such great havoc as they have this year.
Some persons, indeed, say they remem-
Der at a very distant period Of time, such
visitation but do not speak of it but
in general terms.
We find that the evil is destructive o.
YER that portion of the country from Which
we have heard. On the Eastern Shore