Swallow-Tailed Butterflies 153 



which to WTite, is depending for all these things 

 upon what the caterpillar spares only through lack 

 of numbers to consume. 



We eat at the second table after the caterpil- 

 lars, we use what is left after his majesty the cater- 

 pillar has had enough. Consequently, everybody 

 in this world, whether he knows it or not, is depend- 

 ent upon the birds, principally ; also, upon some of 

 the bats, toads, small snakes and some small mam- 

 mals which eat insects, for the privilege of living 

 here. 



iUthough the caterpillars are baby butterflies, 

 that fact need not disturb you when you are waging 

 war against them. Every time you catch a female 

 butterfly and put her in yom* cabinet, you have cut 

 off just so many hundred eggs, which means so 

 many caterpillars from the general sujDply of 

 marauders. 



Xevertheless the caterpillar has its use and place 

 in the world and should not be exterminated. How- 

 ever, this need not bother you because you cannot 

 exterminate them, but unless you keep them in sub- 

 jection they will exterminate you! I am telling 

 you this, not to encourage you to kill, but so that 

 you may collect specimens with no scruples of 



