Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1845-04-25
MONTPELIER, FRIDAY, APRIL rs, 1s45

|
skin is moulded upon its exterior body, and takes
its form, differing only in its exterior size; but at
last, the living skin and the ntegument arriving at
greater maturity, other limbs sprout out of it,
Young wings may have sprouted unseen; and, hay
ing done so, they must be covered over with
as well as the whole body When the outer COW s
erng splits, these are revealed; and here ends the
mystery. The ta,va splits the pupa makes its mp
pearance presenting similar appearance, but hav-
ing the appearance of wings and all this time the
growth Is stlll going on, progressively increasing,
and this is the last investment which covers the
creature till it arrives at its full and adult state 1t
then bursts the skin, and draws its head out Of the
head OF the lara, which was of totally different
form; it next extricates its wings and body; and
then standing upon some leaf blade of grass, it
waits till the wings are expanded to the fair pro-
portions, and then it enters upon that aerial life
which it is destined to lead. These views, the lee
ture: said, appeared to him far more likely to be |
the correct ones, than those which had been pro- |
mulgated by recent entomologsts.
But there other not less wonderful phenome- |
ma than these going on in the insect world. Let |
us sec what changes take place in the mouth. The
caterpillar is provided with scissors, Or shears, to
cut blades Of grass, the leaves of plants; the
butterfly has pump that it lets down into the bells
of flowers to imbibe the honey The creature has,
therefore, laid aside its cutting apparatus, and re-
placed it by pump. This has all been going on
unperceived, and is part of the same change; for
the jaws are portion of the skin, only harder as
our nails are, and the old jaws being thrown of
with the old skin, we have at last the fully devel-
oped skin, the mouth presenting the appearance of
a pump The dragon-fly, while it wings its wayi
chase Of insects, has those lateral fangs before
tced, with which it is destined TO crush and devour
the little beings upon which it preys; but it has
need of another apparatus while in the water,-a
pair Of pincers which it can throw out to distance;
an arm by which it can seize the aquatic animals it
devours. Imagine the chin greatly elongated, and
) folded up to the forehead and then folded back
again to the chin, while it is expanded in breadth,
SO as to be like the bnkers of horse, and you
will have some idea of the mouth of the dragon-fy,
while mhabiting the water. When it quits its skin,
it leaves this apparatus also behind; and its own
real jaws, concealed within all the time are such
! as have been already described
Let examine little the internal anatomy of
these animals. When examining articulated ami
mails, told you that the numerous brains they pos
sess are feeble in proportion to their number as for
instance in the leech, in which these brains are
small and many; and find that they possess
neither limbs senses of any elevated character
d But observe what is going within the insect du-
= ring the complicated processes of change which
S have already described The sense of the thing Is
ts,-to nurse up the animal. till its brain, the gul-
ding and ruling principle of its internal economy,
G becoming more perfect it may be able to weld
limbs that it could not WELD before and to possess
); senses that absolutely useless to it at first
$ Examine the caterpillar as far as regards ITS BRAIN.
II If you dissect it in its caterpillar state, you viii
find from fourteen to twenty pairs OF brains; all OF
d them too small to direct limbs more perfect than
If those which the caterpillar is provided with. While
If the caterpillar is lying apparently in its inactive
't and helpless condition. important changes are go
r ing within. You will find that these brains are
IS gradually running together. The cords that con-
'r meet them become shorter and the brains them
IF selves become united two into one, ana three into
L two and, at last when we arrive at the perfect IN
c, sect, there only four five masses of brain,
e large in proportion TO the work they have to do
l. abundantly strong enough to WELD those wings
d. that before they could not by possibility have WELD
ed, and strong enough to give senses which could
st not before have existed. That limbs are given
a. need not tell you but look at the II you
examine iarUa you will find five six black spots
I'd upon its head, corresponding to the feeble brain II
C. possesses; but examine the eye of the insect
IN when arrived at maturity, land of this beautiful
It's magniied illustration shown,] thousands o.
IS eyes are made to hold intercourse with its more
es powerful Brain and the last skin they throw oil re-
i'll veals to US that most beautiful and elaborate me
es clansm which has been silently and secretly man
mt uactured Within There other changes that
es will not dwell upon longer than simply to mention
tie The sk-secreting apparatus that we described II
he the caterpillar is gone; it is no longer wanted al
res apparatus for producing eggs-tubcs such as ! de
St scrlbed IN the bee are found which did not betor
$50 exist. This apparatus makes its appearance sim
nd, ultaneousy with the wings, and the wings are oh
op- viously given to enable the creature to fly ava
IN from its native element and dispense its eggs at
III distance, as intended by Nature. The stomach
indeed every part of the interior of the animal, ha
et been altered in the way. If the caterpilla
at lives upon cabbage leaves, and is voracous 1t mus
nts have capacious stomach; and you will lind III
am stomach of the silk-worm TO consist CT large bias
to But when it is permitted to become butterfly, an
Sc live upon nectar little delicate bag is all the ste
ern mach that it possesses; and while it has been ly
ing in the dormant state OF chrysaiiS the stomac
son has become converted from the enormous bag {
ra the caterpillar into little sacculs, in which tn
Just honey is lodged Thus not only in the outwar
his form and construction but in the internal economy
as insect changes going forward, proportionate
in the changes that are going forward in the nervot
this system.
.om The lecturer, in conclusion said he had simpl
to endeavored to skim from the science they had bee
ar investigating, few prominent points to lay befo
sed his auditors and he had selected those principal
Sc which were most calculated to show the power ar
the benecence of Nature, even in these humber Torn
ear of life He had invariably used the term .Natur
,oat but he no advocate for that mawksh philos
ow ply that would deprive the Creator of his due al
lffi- set up shadow for substance, phantom for
say reality, idol for a divinity. Philosophy, by pu
rby ting words to their right meanings would assure
tell ly lose nothing in the way OF enjoyment. If pl
the losophy appreciate the works of Nature as d
her works Of Nature, and can derive instruction al
It i'll amusement from the contemplation of them, tn
its instruction and amusement would not be less
ina philosophy looked little further If we feel a
This mraton and establishment at all the mechanism
gest have contemplated, while we apply the product'
on OF this mechanism to Nature, we shall not lose al
off thing by referring it to that omnpotent and omn
the cient Being 10 whom ii is alone due. Our admin
y is ton will be sweled into awe,-our astonishme
1t is will be submed to alteration, if we remember III
that the hand of Nature is the hand of God.
at of After thanking his auditory for the kindness a
hich Indulgence shown to him, while rapidly skimmi
hard over his hasty notices Of the lower forms of the
nent mal creation, the lecturer said he trusted that
uced some future period, he should be enabled to
pro- out with them again into the fields Of the amin
wing kingdom, and contemplate the higher and me
raise complicated forms of life.
that --------------------
Their, Mr.. Iorey clergyman, who lately pass