The beautiful butterfly, called American emperor, is in its first stage of existence, a caterpillar, which feeds voraciously on nettles.... After preparation for transformation, it remains about three months in the torpid state, and then expands its beauteous wings, surpassing in their brilliancy and beauty, the plumage of the peacock ....the cut represents the caterpillar on the branch, the chrysalis, or torpid caterpillar below, and the butterfly above, on the right.

2. Give me some account of one or two of the beetle tribe?

A. Of these insects generally, it is said that like shell fish, the bones are external, the muscles internal; and that bulk for bulk, they are a thousand times stronger than man. The drawing annexed, is that of the stag or golden beetle, as large as life. It is known by its horns projecting like those of a stag from its head. The whole insect is of a deep brown, and is found among oaks. Their maxilla or jaws are furnished with teeth, which have the appearance of coral. They live on the oozings of the oak.

The smaller insect is also called the golden beetle, it is found upon flowers, particularly the rose. The body is of a burnished golden green, tinged with red, so as to resemble as it moves burnished copper. It rivals the emerald in beauty of color.

2. There are two other insects, which I wish some account of, and then we shall close, the Tarantula and Ichneumon fly?

A. The tarantula bears some resemblance to the house spider. For many years it was a received opinion that the bite of this insect produced a malady which music only could cure.

This is now considered as a vulgar error. There are many varieties of this insect....those of India are much longer limbed than those of Europe and America.

The Ichneumon fly, derives its name from a comparison of its real services with the suppos. ed but unreal services of the Ichneumon rat of the Nile, which was fabled to destroy the crocodile. This fly destroys caterpillars, plant lice, and other insects that infest and injure plants. They also attack spiders. Their war against other insects, has induced naturalists to compare them to cannibals; but without justice, as it appears they in truth perform only the same office as that of the domestic dog.

These several classes are to be understood, as the title of the work implies, a simple Epitome of each; but they are each calculated to open the mind, by giving correct ideas at the beginning, a matter the most worthy of regard; a young person acquainted with the contents of this elementary work, will have nothing to unlearn.

THE END.