The gazette and Democrat. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1860-1860, 1860-05-10
Insect Transformalions.

The IRE is much that is extremely inter- !
estiDg in the habits Of the thousand tiny {
forms Of life that Git through the air, or ;
rambls among the grass ard wecdo dur
ing the sunny summer time; thoes gorge
ously dressed kings and queens, whose
thrones are the wild rose and lily cup.
and with whom the richest dressed Of the
monarcbs Of men cannot vie. Who would
think, a! the first glance, that the little
moth, Autterng among the branches Of
that apple tree, has its wings covered
with scales of gold, silver and pearl, and
humble as it appears to be, an All.wise
Providence has seen ft to thus clolhe it
in garments SO splendid. See tina, cater
pillar, crawling upoa tho .leavrs of car
rot. on whose blossoms 1t feeds. In q
short time it will change its form, and
from an active voracious bsingit " i'll be-
come dormant, wrapped up 10 a mummy
like covering. soon after to ourst its bonds
and emerge an active thing OF life, whose
broad expanded wings, studded with pre-
cious metals and painted with rainbow
colors, enables it to float on the ambient
/ all, or wheel in rapid chase in pursuit Of
its mate or rival Instead of powerful
Jaws, fitted TO masticaie the leaves OF
plants, it now has long. flexible lube,
coiled like watch.spring beneath its
E head, with which it can sip the nectar Of
flowers.
The plow that broke up yonder mead
' ow, has thrown upon the surface of the
!, soil multitude Of grubs; come with soft,
c white bodies, and dark dipped abdomen
curled up, and brown head and legs, have
fed on the roots of grasses and other
plants, until they have become fat and
lazy. Should they succeed in burrowing
= beneath the surface again. they will soon
change into brownsh, almost motioness
beings, with legs laid fat on the body,
. and apparently glued there. They will
'. cast off tl.is envelope, and emerge clad in
:, glittering mail-some with that Of sable
blackness, and others with armor of gold.
Over the pond darts the splendid drag.
or .fly, with wings Of fine lace. and body
10 Of FURNISHED metal. He seems 10 move
., without an effort in every direction,
:. straight forward or lateral, is al! the same
r He dashes on some uhsuspecting insect
,e that has but newly alighted on the reeds
lie and tears in pieces and deyours it withou
h remorse. Yet a few days ago, the brigh
h dragon fly was crawling thing at .h'
r, bottom OF the very pond over which i
A. now skins, and its rapine was confined t.
Mt the denizens of the water. The fluuerin!
10 moth that burnt its wings al the candle
is was short time ago, the nasty, greas.
e. cutworm that destroyed your nice. youol
Crbbage plants; with its change of form
Y. has come also that of its manner of life
it it can no longer eat cabbages, but passc
- its nights in search of mate, AMI it
days in sleep. The great, green tomai
nd worm will next year be admired as tn
he humming bird moth During the winte
hl it remains deep buried in the ground,
We mahogany colored pupa with its tongu
nd case bent down to its abdomen, giving
of the appearance of jug with a handle.
nat you irritate it, the rings Of the abdome
,ht will be jerked violently You may traC
do the wings and legs still wrapped up-tl
tic former are spread down the sides; the Ia
do ter folded on the breast. The grape'vi
is caterpillar will undergo like changes, b
on. the tongue case is not large. .,.
rch If people would pay more attention
ro the examination Of these works OF the Cr
as ator. they would fnd much that is DO
nan interesting and instructive. The sma
ped ness of The objects is no reason why til
and should be despised, for it is often by t
,rth most apparently insignificant being, Il
way the greatest results are brought about
IS Of The little polypi have covered the gr
Pacific ocean with islands aud reefs, whit
the boas,ed might of man is impotenl
Q oil gaiust iuroads of the surging waves. l
lay: little whea, fly of our own country, ls
'and of the greatest evils with which the iarr
on. has TO contend. The locusts or era
see hoppers, dssoate the most fertile Ian
the and eating up every green thing. le
,crat the land blaokened as if with hre.
ter the polypi is soft and delicate, with
area strong arms with which to Dul'u
er OF mighty walls against the lnroads oil
ssls- ocean. The wheat fly was first an egg,
that small to be soan with the naked eye,
mon, even when fully grown, it would tai
Sew great many flies to make body as Is
isis as Il at Of the common house fly. :
never the dreaded ocusts were last wint'
this cluster of eggs, deposited in the groun'
ng in their parent, The heat of the sun ha
olna ed them ont and they began to hop a
nion' and eat The delicate leaves. Nothh
,ssive benath our notice. that exists in nat
a was and they are wisest who prove all thin
iskey - ----~.-----
t that w Why is it impossible for "
ouis. that indicates the smaller division OF
these aver 10 BE- new? Because it must ally