THE PSYCHES 



Caterpillar turns round inside the case before he changes 

 into a Moth. 



Though they wear but a simple pearl-grey dress and 

 have insignificant wings, hardly larger than those of a 

 Common Fly, these little male Moths are graceful 

 enough. They have handsome feathery plumes for 

 antennae, and their wings are edged with delicate fringes. 

 For the appearance of the female Psyche, however, 

 little can be said. 



Some days later than the others she comes out of the 

 sheath, and shows herself in all her wretchedness. Call 

 that little fright a Moth! One cannot easily get used 

 to the idea of so miserable a sight: as a Caterpillar she 

 was no worse to look at. There are no wings, none at 

 all ; there is no silky fur either. At the tip of her round, 

 tufty body she wears a crown of dirty-white velvet; on 

 each segment, in the middle of the back, is a large, rec- 

 tangular, dark patch — her sole attempts at ornament. 

 The mother Psyche renounces all the beauty which her 

 name of Moth seems to promise. 



As she leaves her chrysalid sheath she lays her eggs 

 within it, thus bequeathing the maternal cottage (or the 

 maternal garment, if you will) to her heirs. As she lays 

 a great many eggs the affair takes some thirty hours. 

 .When the laying is finished she closes the door and makes 

 everything safe against invasion. For this purpose 



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