8o TRANSFORMATIONS OF INSECTS. 



and marked with white eye-shaped circles. Its caterpillar is 

 velvety black, and has tubercles which are more or less blue, 

 with orange-coloured points. It lives upon the Saxifrages and 

 the Crassulaceous plants of the hills. When it undergoes the 

 transformation into the chrysalis state, it forms a silken net 

 around the body, and attaches the end of the abdomen to 

 its resting-place, and forms the usual girdle by which it is 

 safely anchored. 



Most of the pupae or chrysalides of the Lepidoptera are naked, 

 but from the above example it is evident that the protecting 

 nature of a silken coverlet bears some reference to the exposure 

 of the quiet insect to cold and rain, which are common enough 

 in Alpine districts, and which would tend to destroy were 

 there no natural clothing. Nevertheless, the protection it gives 

 must be slight, for the insect has to sling itself, after being 

 invested by it. 



The Pieridi, which are vulgarly termed Cabbage Butterflies, 

 on account of the favourite food of the caterpillars of one genus, 

 are found in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia. The larvae are 

 remarkable on account of the small size of the head and the end 

 of the body, and their hairy skin. The pupae are very angular, 

 and have a pointed projection in front. The butterflies always 

 have wings, without tails, and the legs are long and hairy. 



The type of the genus is the Picris brassiccB, the great 

 Cabbage Butterfly, which is to be seen in every garden and 

 field in Europe. The butterfly is, moreover, well known in 

 Asia Minor, in Egypt, in Northern Africa, in Siberia, in 

 Nepaul, and even in Japan. The caterpillar makes sad havoc 

 amongst the cabbages, and it is not a pleasant-looking nor a 

 nice-smelling vegetarian. Its greenish body, marked with three 

 lon<7 yellow lines broken into here and there, by little black 

 hairy tubercles, excites indignation in the breast of every 

 gardener. Unfortunately, they are not solitary in their habits, 

 for they generally abound in swarms, and destroy the tenderest 

 leaves of the hardest-hearted cabbages with infinite relish, and 

 with an utter disregard of consequences. Everybody has met 

 with some of these caterpillars wandering about the roads 

 and paths, and crawling up walls and palings, in order to find a 



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