30 MOTH TRANSFORMATIONS. 



(an oval, wood-covered cocoon, two inches and a half long), 

 from whence, in a few days, we had the infinite satisfaction of 

 beholding its inhabitant come forth. The first intimation of 

 the approaching event, was a strange shaking of the solid 

 fabric, and presently, by dint, as it would seem, of violent 

 efforts, and the use of its hard bulky head as a battering- rain 

 against its prison wall, the creature, still clad in chrysalis mail, 

 effected a breach at one end of the oval cell. Be it here 

 noticed that the rings of this Goat-Moth chrysalis are each 

 edged by a fringe of hook-like appendages, and now observe 

 their use. Grappling by these, it is enabled to push its brown 

 shining body half way out of its case, in the aperture of 

 which it remains then firmly lixcd. In this position, supported 

 by its wooden walls, comes the crisis of its final change. The 

 glazed back-piece of the aurelian mail bursts asunder at the 

 shoulders and through the rent, slowly advancing, comes out 

 a gigantic brown-winged Moth* the perfect form of three 

 years' development. 



The process of cmergement in beetles, bees, flies, and 

 other insects is no less worthy of observation than the above, 

 though, in most instances, somewhat more difficult to witness. 

 The clear wings of many exhibit instances of expansion no less 

 remarkable than those of Moths and Butterflies, and often, on 

 first emergement, differ as much in shape and colour from 

 what they afterwards become. "If a beetle," says Kirby, 



* Frontispiece. 



