lived thus five or six days, and thrived, and changed the colour two or three times; but, by some neglect in the keeper of it, it then died and did not turn to a fly but if it had lived, it had doubtless turned to one of those flies that some call Flies-of-prey, which those that walk by the rivers may, in summer, see fasten on smaller flies, and, I think, make them their food. And 'tis observable, that as there be these flies-ofprey which be very large, so there be others, very little, created, I think, only to feed them, and breed out of I know not what; whose life, they say, Nature intended not to exceed an hour; and yet that life is thus made shorter by other flies, or accident.

'Tis endless to tell you what the curious search.. ers into Nature's productions have observed of these worms and flies: but yet I shall tell you what Aldrovandus, our Topsel, and others, say of the Palmerworm or Caterpillar: that whereas others content themselves to feed on particular herbs or leaves,

for most think those very leaves that gave them life and shape, give them a particular feeding and nourishment, and that upon them they usually abide; — yet he observes, that this is called a Pilgrim or Palmer-worm, for his very wandering life and various food; not contenting himself, as other do, with any one certain place for his abode, nor any certain kind of herb or flower for his feeding; but will boldly and disorderly wander up and down, and not endure to be kept to a diet, or fixed to a particular place.

Nay, the very colours of Caterpillars are, as one has observed, very elegant and beautiful. I shall, for a taste of the rest, describe one of them, which I will some time the next month shew you feeding on a willow-tree, and you shall find him punctually to answer this very description; his lips and mouth somewhat yellow, his eyes black as jet, his forehead purple, his feet and hinder parts green, his tail two forked and black; the whole body stained with a kind of red spots which run along the neck and shoulder-blade, not unlike the form of Saint Andrew's cross, or the letter X, made thus cross-wise, and a white line drawn down his back to his tail; all which add much beauty to his whole body. And it is to me observable, that at a fixed age this Caterpillar gives over to eat, and towards winter comes to be covered over with a strange shell or crust, called an Aurelia; and so lives a kind of dead life, without eating all the winter. And, as others of several kinds turn to be several kinds of flies and

View Sir Fra. Bucon Exper. 728 and 29, in his Natural History.

vermin the spring following, so this caterpillar then turns to be a painted butterfly.

Come, come, my Scholar, you see the river stops our morning-walk, and I will also here stop my discourse only as we sit down under this honeysuckle hedge, whilst I look a line to fit the rod that our brother Peter hath lent you, I shall, for a little confirmation of what I have said, repeat the observation of Du Bartas :

God, not contented to each kind to give,
And to infuse the virtue generative,

By his wise power made many creatures breed
Of lifeless bodies, without Venus' deed.

6. Day of Du Bartas.

So the cold humour, breeds the Salamander;
Who, in effect, like to her birth's commander,
With child with hundred winters, with her touch
Quencheth the fire, though glowing ne'er so much.

So in the fire, in burning furnace, springs
The fly Perausta with the flaming wings:
Without the fire it dies; in it it joys;
Living in that which all things else destroys.

So, slow Boötes underneath him sees

View Gerh.
Herbal and

In th' icy islands goslings hatch'd of trees; Camden.
Whose fruitful leaves falling into the water,
Are turn'd, 'tis known, to living fowls soon after.

So rotten planks of broken ships do change
To Barnacles. O transformation strange!
'Twas first a green tree, then a broken hull,
Lately a mushroom, now a flying Gull.

VEN. O my good Master! this morning-walk has been spent to my great pleasure and wonder: but I pray, when shall I have your direction how to make Artificial-Flies, like to those that the Trout loves best? and also how to use them?