40 



on a bulb at its base, just as water is drawn up from a cup into 

 the mouth throug-h a straw. (Fig. 48). 



The female Cabbage Butterflies begin laying their pale-yellow eggs 

 about the middle of April on the leaves of Shepherd's Purse, Mustard, 

 and other like plants that have already come up. These eggs are beau- 

 tiful objects, flask-shaped and ribbed crosswise as well as up and down. 

 We must, however, examine them under a microscope, if we wish to see 

 their extremely delicate beauty. Usually several eggs are laid on the 

 under surface of the leaves in an erect position, but seldom are they 

 in clusters. (Fig. 49). 



In about a week tiny green " worms," or caterpillars, hatch from the 

 eggs and begin to nibble at the leaves provided for them by the 

 instinct of the mother butterfly. They eat greedily, and "gorge them- 

 selves till they seem near bursting." As a result, their growth is rapid; 

 but as the outer skin cannot stretch enough to allow for the increase in 

 size, the caterpillar must at certain times form a new skin under the old 

 one and throw off" the latter. This moulting, as it is called, occurs 

 four times in the life of the caterpillar, before it changes into a chrysalis. 



How different these caterpillars look from the white butterflies ! 



They have horny biting jaws 



,*j.!;V 







which work sideways, and eight 

 pairs of legs — not all alike, how- 

 ever, for the last five pairs are 

 more like stubs than legs. Their 

 feelers can scarcely be seen, and 

 wings are altogether wanting. 

 Their bodies are long, and are 

 plainly made up of thirteen 

 segments, or rings. 



Reference has already been 

 made to the change from the 

 caterpillar to the chrysalis. The 

 first summer chrysalis stage 

 lasts about twelve days, and a 

 second brood of butterflies ap- 

 pears about the end of June. 

 Eggs are again laid, from which 

 a second brood of caterpillars 

 makes its appearance and feeds 

 on the leaves of cabbages and 

 other allied plants during part of 

 July and August. These change 

 into the second summer chry- 

 salids, from which in twelve days the third brood of butterflies comes out 

 in September. Eggs are again laid, and from these hatch the cater- 

 pillars which are usually so abundant in late autumn. These change into 

 the chrysalids which pass the winter under fence-rails and other places. 

 Quite often in autumn many cabbage-worms appear bloated and 

 sickly. They are sluggish and have no desire to eat. If some of the 





Fig. 50. Two full grown cabbage worms resting 

 after a good meal. 



