INTRODUCTION.
Of Moths and Butterflies in general.
The Opinion of Equivocal Generation however formerly received, has by the present Age been deservedly rejected; since every Observation proves, that all Creatures are produced by Parents of their own Kind, and that in general those Parents are Male and Female; and the Production of every Moth and Butterfly in this Manner, is I believe at present not doubted by any Body.
The Females, both of the Moth and Butterfly, lay their Eggs in a short Time after Copulation, upon or contiguous to what will supply proper Food for the young Brood when produced. After a certain Period the Infant Caterpillars included in the Eggs burst their Shells, crawl forth, and feed upon the Provision ready prepared for them. And each of these Caterpillars, having fed its appointed Time, becomes a Chrysalis or Aurelia; from which State, after a while, it issues forth a Fly in the Likeness of its Parent.
Some Species of Butterflies breed twice a Year. Those that come forth in May lay their Eggs soon after, which Eggs in about nine Days Time are hatched. The Caterpillars feed for about six Weeks, then change to Chrysalis, lie in that State for about fourteen Days, and then the Flies are bred. These lay their Eggs as the first Brood did, the Caterpillars change to Chrysalis in September, and the Flies come forth in the following May.
The Variety of the Moth Kinds is so great, that perhaps there is scarce a Day in the Year when some of them are not bred. The Time of their Continuance in the Chrysalis State will be best known by attending to the Account of each Moth described in the following Plates. Some Moths as well as Butterflies breed twice a Year.
It frequently happens, that the Fly does not come out at the usual Time, but continues in the Chrysalis State till that Time Twelvemonth; so that the Creature remains in that Case a Year and nine Months (and sometimes longer) in a State of Rest, without Nourishment of any kind.
Thus much in general:—We descend now to particular Observations.
On the different Manner of laying their Eggs.
All Butterflies and Moths lay a great Number of Eggs, some even as far as two or three Hundred. The Eggs of some Kinds are glutenous, or covered with a glewy Moisture; but those of others are not so: The glutenous are fixt (sometimes singly) on Grass, the Leaves of Trees, Shrubs, &c. and sometimes in Clusters after the same Manner. Some Sorts of Eggs are laid naked or uncovered, and others are cloath’d with a sort of Down, &c. Some Flies lay them in a Spiral Line, or Screw-like Figure, round a small Twigg, a Stalk of Grass, &c. And these may be pulled off entire, in Fashion like a Cylindrical Tube, and as hard as Horn: Others deposit theirs in the Chinks of the Barks of Trees, &c. &c. &c.
It is observeable, that the whole Process from the Egg, to the Fly, of many Species, is perform’d in about sixty Days. But the Goat Moth is an Exception to this Rule, being reported to be three Years proceeding from the Egg to the Fly State.
Of the Eggs.
The Eggs are of various Forms; some are round, some are oval, and many of the Moth-Kind flat, and perforated through the Middle; so that the Embrios or Caterpillars lie curl’d up before they are hatch’d, as they frequently do afterwards when come to Maturity. They are found of all manner of Colours, and many of them are extremely beautiful if view’d with a Microscope; some being curiously rib’d and adorn’d with Protuberances, &c. like the nicest carved Work; others marbled and spotted with an amazing Variety of delightful colouring.
Of Caterpillars.
Caterpillars are usually divided into the Naked and Cloathed Kinds. Among the Cloath’d some have only small Tufts of Hair or Down, others are cover’d all over with it.
The Caterpillars of all known Butterflies have six Hooks or Claws before, eight Feet in the Middle of their Body, and two Holders behind. Those that produce Moths have all six Hooks or Claws before, and Holders behind. Some have eight Feet in the Middle, some four, and some only two next their Holders.
Some Species of Caterpillars always feed inclos’d or spun up in the Leaves they feed upon, others take their Food openly and in Sight.
Some are sociable and herd together whilst young, but when they change their third Skin they grow unsociable and feed separately.
Others are born unsociable, and feed separately from their Infancy.
Some Species spin a large Web that will contain an hundred Caterpillars, or more, from which they never go far till they have eat up all the Leaves that are near thereto: Then they spin a new Web, and so (shifting their Quarters) in a short Time, instead of the green Leaves that they have devoured, leave the Tree, or Bush, covered only with their white Webs.
Some Sorts, when disturbed, let themselves down by a Thread like a Spider, by which Means they avoid being devoured by other Insects that have not the Means of following them, &c.
Of the Food of Caterpillars, and their Manner of Feeding.
Their Food is almost general, but some Kinds will eat nothing except their own particular Trees, or Plants.
Some Species feed upon Herbage, others live and feed upon the solid Parts of Trees, and Barks.
Some dwell in the Earth, or other private Recesses in the Day-time, and at Night come forth, and feed on Grass, Flowers, &c. Others again feed on the different Kinds of Mosses, Heath, Broom, the Leaves of Trees, Shrubs, &c.
Some feed upon the Waters naked and exposed, and others make themselves Cases of Sticks, Rushes, &c. in the Waters, where they get their Food.
Of the Forms of Caterpillars.
The Variety and Beauty which present themselves to our Eyes in the Form and Colouring of Caterpillars, are no less remarkable than the Flies themselves, as the Reader will be satisfied by examining the following Plates.
Of the Change of Caterpillars into the Chrysalis State.
When a Caterpillar has fed its appointed Time, and is come to full Maturity, it undergoes a Change, and becomes a Body of a different Form, incrusted with a Shell, and usually called a Chrysalis or Aurelia; the Shell of which is formed underneath the Skin of the Caterpillar, which Skin comes off as soon as the Aurelia becomes perfect.
Of the Chrysalis or Aurelia.
During its Continuance in the Chrysalis State, it seems to have no Sense but Feeling; and some of them have even that in a very low Degree, for they may be touched pretty roughly without moving.
The Chrysalides or Aureliæ of the Butterfly-Kind are all very beautiful; some of them look as if they were studded with Gold; some are striped, others spotted, and others mottled with all the various Colours of the Rainbow. But those of the Moth-Kind are not so; differing very little from one another, either in Shape or Colour, except the Magpye, and some few besides.
How the Aurelia or Chrysalis is secured.
Nothing in Nature is perhaps more deserving Notice, than the many different Methods whereby Caterpillars conceal and secure themselves whilst in this helpless and unactive Condition.
Some of them spin a large Case of Silk in Form of an Egg, wherein the Chrysalis lies concealed, till the Time comes for the Fly to make its Appearance, which it does by piercing through this Case.
Of such Cases there are several Sorts, different in Form and Colour:
Some are long, and drawn out to a Point at each End; others are more round.
The Texture of some is very thick and close.
Others are thin, like Gause, insomuch that the Chrysalis may be seen thorough them.
Some Aureliæ are white, some yellow, and others of different Hues; and most of the hairy Caterpillars intermix their Hair amongst the Spinning.
Some Caterpillars form a hard-crusted Case, composed of silk Threads glewed together, in such Manner as to become hard like an Egg-shell, so that when the Fly comes out, a round Hole like a Door appears.
The Silk-spinning Caterpillars are of various Kinds, and deposit their Aureliæ in different Places, and in different Manners, viz. some fasten them on the Leaves and Stalks of Plants, without any Covering; others spin the Leaves over them; others lodge them in Holes and Crevices; and others in the Earth.
Many of the Moth-Kind place their Chrysalis in the Earth, about an Inch or two deep, surrounding it with a Case of Earth lined with a glutenous Matter, that no Wet can penetrate: And what is very surprizing, notwithstanding the extreme Delicacy and Tenderness of the Fly when first bred, be the Ground never so hard, it makes its way thorough it without ruffling a single Feather.
Few, if any, of the Butterfly-Kind form a Case or Spinning, except what fastens the Tail and Body of the Chrysalis. Some hang perpendicularly downwards, and others in an horizontal Position, being fastened by the Tail, with a Thread round the Back and on each Side. Some are secured within the Leaves spun together; others are hid in the Hollows and Barks of Trees; and others again under the Copings of Walls, in Houses, Sheds, &c.
Of the FLY.
After the Chrysalis has remained its due Time, the Fly bursts the Shell wherein it was contained, and comes out formed perfectly in every Part, except the Wings, which then appear too small to cover its Body. In this naked Condition it crawls up to some convenient Place, where its Wings may hang down without any Hindrance: And when thus disposed, the Wings begin to expand themselves so much, that in the Space of half an Hour, the Wings (of Butterflies) are stretched commonly to their full Size; nay, even those of the largest Moths seldom require above an Hour’s Time. At first they are flabby, like wet Paper, but soon afterwards they become stiff, and capable of supporting them in their Airy Flights, &c.
In this Fly State their first Care seems to be the Propagation of their Species, for some of them will copulate immediately if they can find a Mate; to seek which the Male Butterfly takes Wing, as soon as his Wings are in a proper Condition: But few Moths, whether bred in the Night Time or in the Day, ever offer to fly till the Night after their Birth, when they go in Search of the Females.
The Females (especially of the Moth Kinds) seldom, if ever, take Wing till they have been cocked: they often continue in Conjunction twelve Hours and more, after which the Female lays her Eggs, flies about for a Time, and then dies.—The Females of some Kinds are without Wings.
The Males (of some Species) have a surprizing Quickness and Distinction in their Sense of Smelling, exceeding that of the Blood-Hound, or any other Creature yet known; for if a Female be concealed in a Box, and there are any Males within half a Mile or more, they will fly directly to the Place, and hover round it. By this Means a Dozen Male Egger-Moths have been taken in an Hour’s Time, and that at about Twelve o’Clock at Noon, as may be seen in the Account of the Egger-Moth.
Their Continuance in the Fly State depends greatly on the Weather, many Flies being destroyed as soon as bred, by Storms of Hail, &c. but if the Season proves favourable, many will live for a Fortnight, three Weeks, or longer, and some even all the Winter through.
The Distinction of Moths and Butterflies.
MOTHS and BUTTERFLIES agree in their Progression from the Egg to the Fly State, are different when in that State, in the following Particulars.
BUTTERFLIES have a Ball or Knob at the Extremity of each of their Antennæ, or Horns.
The Horns of MOTHS have not such Balls or Knobs, but are constantly threaded or pointed: except the Males of some Species, whose Horns are ramified, or in the Form of Combs.
All BUTTERFLIES settle with their Wings erect, and generally keep them in that Posture, unless when basking in the Sun.
Most MOTHS do not settle with their Wings erect, but place them horizontally, or inclining to their Feet.
All BUTTERFLIES come abroad by Day-Light, and chiefly when the Sun shines bright.
MOTHS fly, some by Day-Light, some by Twilight, and some in the Dead of Night.
N. B. There is a Species of Fly betwixt the Moth and the Butterfly, whose Horns are more flat and hollow; this is describ’d in the second Book of this Work, by the Name of the Burnet.
Concerning the Food of the Fly.
The Food of these Creatures in the Fly State, is very different from what it was when they were Caterpillars: Butterflies feed on all Kinds of Flowers, and on several sorts of Fruits, and I have seen them extremely fond of the Juices that issue from the Bodies of several Sorts of Trees.
MOTHS feed on the same Things, as also on the Honey-Dew that is found on the Leaves of Limes, Elms, &c. The Moths, as well as the Butterflies, are furnished with a long Proboscis, or Tongue, which lies curl’d up like a Watch-Spring, under the fore Part of the Head. The Length of this Proboscis varies according to the Species of the Fly, and is from half an Inch, to four Inches long.
The Enemies of Moths and Butterflies.
Nature has been so abundant in the Production of these Creatures, that were it not for the many Dangers they are exposed to, through every Stage of their Lives, the whole World would be too small to contain their Offspring, in four or five Years; for, upon Calculation, the Progeny of one Pair of large Butterflies, (supposing them to lay only 100 Eggs, whereas many of them lay 2 or 300, and that twice a Year) would be sufficient to cover the whole Kingdom of England in about twelve Years.
While in the Egg, they are devoured in great Numbers by Birds and other Animals.
Whilst Caterpillars, they are a Prey to small Birds of all Kinds, being almost the only Food wherewith such Birds nourish and rear their young ones.
CATERPILLARS likewise kill and devour one another; and, besides that, Numbers of them die in shifting their Skins, and in changing into the Chrysalis State. But the greatest Enemy they have in this State, is the Ichneumon Fly.
In the Aurelia State, such as have no Case are a Prey to Birds, &c. those in the Earth, to Moles, Mice, and other subterraneous Animals; and besides, great Numbers are destroyed by Frosts and Wet. In the Fly State they are a Prey to Birds, Batts, and many other Creatures.
There are four different Ways, in one or other of which all Animals of the Moth or Butterfly-Kind subsist during the Winter Season, viz.
- 1. Some in the Egg State.
- 2. Some in the Caterpillar State.
- 3. Some in the Chrysalis State.
- 4. And some in the Fly State.
It is likewise to be observed, that the several Species of them chuse different Places for their Residence
- 1. Some frequent Woods.
- 2. Some Plains and Heaths.
- 3. Some Hedges and Thickets.
- 4. Some Meads, and Mowing Grass.
- 5. And others marshy wet Grounds, &c.
Several Kinds of Caterpillars come forth of the Egg in July, August, September, and October,
remain in the Caterpillar State all the Winter, feed up in the Spring, then change into
the Chrysalis State, and produce Flies a few Weeks afterwards.
Others there are that continue in the Egg State all the Winter, are hatched in the
Spring, and feed up in about 45 Days: then change into the Chrysalis, and produce their Flies
in about 14 Days afterwards.
N. B. The Curious may be assured, that all these Observations are founded on real Facts,
and not on any Supposition or Conjecture.
And now, (as it seems exactly suitable to this Work) we shall beg Leave to close the Introduction
with a short Description of the Butterfly, taken from a Poem called The UNIVERSE,
which was written some Years ago
By Mr. Henry Baker.