252 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



[Nov. ], 1S09. 



made for the purpose. Once out of its old skin, 

 the worm makes a careful review of the operation, 

 with its head feeling the aperture of every spiracle, 

 as well as the tail, probably for the purpose of re- 

 moving any broken fragment of skin which might 

 have remained in these delicate organs. Not only 

 is the outer skin cast off, but also the lining of the 



in size. This is a certain indication that the worm 

 is about to moult. Every ten days the same 

 operation is repeated ; from the fourth moulting 

 to the time of beginning the cocoon, the period is 

 about sixteen days. 



The worms seem entirely unable to discern ob- 

 jects with their simple eyes, but they can 





Fig. 223. American Silk-moth {Telea Polyphemus)— Female. 



Fig. 224. American Silk-moth [Telea Polyphemus)— Male. 



air-tubes and intestines, together with all the 

 chewing organs and other appendages of the head. 

 After the moulting, the size of the larva is con- 

 siderably increased ; the head is large compared with 

 the body ; but eight or ten days later it will look 

 small, as the body will have increased very much 



distinguish light from darkness, as a very simple 

 experiment will show. If a worm be put in a box 

 with two holes in it, one of them turned to the 

 light, the other to the dark, the caterpillar will very 

 soon come out through the hole turned to the 

 light. — The American Naturalist. 



