An entire body of philosophy according to the principles of the famous Renate Des Cartes in three books, (I) the institution ... (II) the history of nature ... (III) a dissertation of the want of sense and knowledge in brute animals ... / written originally in Latin by the learned Anthony Le Grand ; now carefully translated from the last corrections, alterations, and large additions of the author, never yet published ... by Richard Blome.

CHAP. XXII. Of Insects.

I. Four kinds of Bloodless Animals. ARISTOTLE reckons up 4 kinds of Bloodless Animals: Such as are soft, as the Polypus or Pourcoutel, the Cuttle-fish, &c. Such as are cover'd with a hard Shell, and difficult to be broken; as the Crab, Lobster, &c. Such as are cover'd with a Shell that is brittle and easily broken; as Cockles, Perwinkles, and other small Shell Fishes; and of these there is so great a variety, with respect to figure and colour, that they cannot all of them be reckon'd up. And, Lastly, Insects, so called from the Intersections and Divisions of their Bodies; which also are styled by ALBER∣TUS MAGNUS, Annulata, as consisting of several Rings.

II. The great variety of Insects, with rela∣tion to the place wherein they live. The Variety of Insects is very great, with re∣spect to their Food, the quality of their Bodies, and the Place in which they live. As to the Place, Hairy and Red VVorms are generated in the Snow: Fire-flies, which some suppose to be Crickets, in the Fire. Which I have spoke of in my History of Nature, in the Part that treats of Animals. In the Sea, the Sea Scolopendra, and VVater-Flea: In Fresh-waters, Leeches, Horse-Leeches, &c. In the Earth, Earth-VVorms; be∣tween the Barks of Trees, VVood-Lice; in Fig∣trees, a certain Worm called Cerasses; in the Service-tree, Red and Hairy VVorms; in Vines, the Worms called Butyri, &c.

III. The diffe∣rence of Infects, with respect to their Parts. As to their Parts, some Insects have no feet, others have. All VVorms are without feet, as well those which are generated in the Earth, as Earth-VVorms; as those that breed in the Bodies of Ani∣mals, especially in their Guts. The VVeevil, that breeds in Corn, another that is found in Beans, &c. Amongst those that have feet, some have 6; as the Pismire, the stinking Bug, the Flea and Leuse: Others have 8 feet; as the Scorpion and Spider: Some 12; as that of Canker-worms, which is called the Geometrician, because it hath 6 feet in the fore-part of his Body, and as many in the hinder-part, and raiseth up his Back in the form of a Bow or Arch, going like one that measures Land: Some have 14 feet; as all other sort of Canker-worms, which in the fore-part of their Bodies have 6 feet, and 8 in the hinder part.

IV. Of the Ge∣neration of Insects. As to the Generation of Insects. The general Opinion formerly hath been, that they were not produced by a true Generation, but deriv'd their Pedigree from the Corruption of Animals, or other things. But Experience hath informed us of the contrary: For if we put a piece of Flesh into a Bottle, and then stop it; the Flesh shut up there will never breed any VVorms; but if we leave the Bottle unstopt, it will be full of Worms in less than 4 days, in the Summer time. We find also, that Butter∣flies, after Copulation, do lay a vast number Eggs, whence Canker-worms are hatched.

V. All In••••••ts proceed from Eggs. So that we may rationally conclude, that all those Animals which seem to breed of themselves, and are found in Cheese, in Fruits, in Trees, in Flowers, and in Men, are the product either of Eggs, or such like Seed, left by other Animals. The production and process of which, may be fully illustrated by the Generation of a Canker-worm. For Canker-worms, as all other Worms, are generated from a Seed, or from the Eggs of Flies or Butter-flies, which by the heat of the Sun are hatched into Worms; which, after they have changed their Skins several times, turn to Canker-worms, and then to Aurelia's or Bodies without motion, cover'd with a Shell, and in which no di∣stinction of Parts appears; and these again are turned into Butter-flies, or Flies. For it some∣times happens, that from the same Canker-worms and Worms, Aurelia's do proceed; whereof some are turned into many Flies, and others into single Butter-flies. Out of a Worm therefore a Canker-worm is formed; because, as a Plant doth not immediately bring forth branches, flowers, leaves and fruit, but by degrees, and each of these in their due Season; so these Worms, by degrees, arrive to a further measure of perfection. For certain it is, that these Worms do often change their Skins. A Canker-worm therefore is changed into an Aurelia; because the Trunk of its Body being swoln, and its Members almost formed, it so happens that all his Coats and Coverings begin to grow dry, and fall away of themselves; as Flowers fall from Trees, and Feathers from Birds; which when the Aurelia perceives, it either wraps it self in a Leaf, or with a glutinous Liquor proceeding out of its own Body, it most artificially weaves a strong Covering for her self; where it continues shut up, as in an Egg, till it receive new Members, Head and Wings, and so become turned to a Butter-fly.

VI. Flies and other In∣sects, pro∣ceed from Worms. And the same is to be said of all other Insects, that h••ve Wings. For Flies proceeding from Eggs or Seeds, by some Changes as have now been mentioned, do attain to the Perfection of their Nature; for first they are Worms, then they turn to Aurelia's, and out of them Flies do pro∣ceed.

For as a Canker-worm is to a Butter-fly, the same respect or relation a Worm hath to a Fly. And so likewise Lice, Fleas, Bugs, and other such like Insects, are generated of Eggs or Nits, or of other Insects already produced. For all those Animals which are commonly said to be generated out of putrid Matter, that is the Corruption of other things, are produced by Copulation; as we see that Flies do Copulate when August is past, and thereupon they bring forth not Worms, but Eggs, which are found in great abundance upon the Leaves of Trees, in the appearance of a black smutty Matter; which afterwards, by the Heat of the Sun are hatched into Worms, but such as are immoveable, and answering to the Aurelia's of the Canker-worms, which afterwards are changed into Flies.

VII. How Cank∣er-Worms become changed into Butter-flies. This Metamorphosis is not so difficult to con∣ceive, if we suppose that those Parts which seem to be produc'd anew, are only made visible, as having before been hid. For when Canker-worms, by Example, become Butter-flies, it is easie to con∣ceive, that the wings and feet they get, and which makes them appear to have been changed into new kinds of Things, are not newly produc'd Parts, by obtaining of a new form, which they had not before; but that these Parts were indeed before, and only wanted a sufficient Magnitude to render them visible. After the same manner as it happens to Plants, where the flowers and fruits do not unfold themselves, but by degrees, and some time after the Leaves; tho' all these Parts be at once actually together in the Plant, before they appear to be there. Insects therefore, as well as other Animals, are generated by the Coition of Male and Female; which latter lays Eggs, out of which afterwards their Young are hatched by the heat of the Sun.

VIII. How the Eggs of Insects are preserved in the Winter Season. But here it may be demanded, How these Eggs, whence we have said that Canker-worms and Flies are hatched, are preserved all the Winter over, so as that the next Year they may produce Animals. ALDROVANDUS, in his Treatise De Insectis, supposeth that those Eggs only are preserved, which are in those Leaves that are hid in the Cavities of the Barks of Trees, where they cannot suffer any damage from the Injuries of the Air or Wea∣ther. Thus I my self, saith he, have observed Eggs fastned to the hinder part of Fig-Leaves, whence, towards the End of August, little Canker-worms did proceed. They were wrapt up in a thin Downy substance, to preserve them from being hurt by the Ambient body; which Canker-worms afterwards falling down, were not dash'd against the Ground, but continued hanging in the Air, like Spiders, by a very fine Thread. When they lay their Eggs on the Under-side of Leaves, they do so fold the said Leaves that no Rain can hurt them, making as it were a Covert over them. I have also twice taken notice, that a Canker-worm, which I found amongst Cabbage-Leaves, did first lay yellow Eggs, wrapt up in a thin Downy matter; which, after she had laid them, became changed into an Aurelia of the same Co∣lour, as she had before when yet a Canker-worm, viz. yellow, green and black; and, which seem'd strange to me, afterwards flying Animals pro∣ceeded from these Eggs, so very small, that they could scarcely be discerned by the Eye; such as are commonly found in the Bladders that are on the Leaves of the Elm-tree. So far he. Tho' there be some Country-men that tell us, That these Eggs are not only kept between the Barks of Trees, but that many Leaves fill'd with the Eggs of Butter-flies, are many times found hid in the Earth, where they are preserved all the Winter, till by the heat of the Sun, at the return of Spring, they be hatched into Insects.