Mr. Skene on the Emigration of Caterpillars. 95 



gazing at it, or willing to reach some corner ; and leading his 

 troop round, he frequently performed the same examination, 

 until they reached a small hush, round the stem of which he 

 ascended, the long line following with perfect confidence, and 

 by means of a branch of the bush, they attained footing on the 

 stone. 



Traversing the stone, the opposite side of which was quite 

 precipitous and pretty high, it became uncommonly interest- 

 ing to see how this intelligent general would proceed. He 

 examined with accuracy, trying every possible break, during 

 which time the main body remained patiently waiting, and 

 without making the slightest attempt to assist in the examina- 

 tion, which their leader conducted with much activity and so- 

 licitude. At length, having ascertained the pass to be quite 

 impracticable, he resolved upon a counter march, which was 

 instantly performed with the most surprising regularity. For 

 the whole line in succession advanced to the wheeling point on 

 the brink before they turned, performing the evolution with 

 as perfect precision as the best trained troops, the advancing 

 and retreating lines passing close alongside of each other, and 

 even climbing the same twig, while the front line descended 

 without confusion, passing even over each other's bodies with- 

 out interruption or hesitation. 



Having completed their descent in the same manner as they 

 had mounted, a new line of direction was taken, which however 

 was very soon most alarmingly interrupted by the arrival of a 

 woman leading an ass loaded with brush-wood, of which some 

 branches trailed along the path. After the passage of this for- 

 midable assailant, I returned with some anxiety to examine the 

 state of my colony, and found that they had suffered materially 

 from the disaster, and were thrown into the greatest confu- 

 sion. The line of march had been broken ; a considerable 

 body still followed the leader with a quickened pace ; others, 

 united in parties of three and four, regularly keeping their 

 position in the rear of each other, while their temporary con- 

 ductor sought, with evident anxiety, to find out the main bo- 

 dy, hastening first to the one side and then to the other. A 

 good many were scattered singly, and much distressed, seem- 

 ingly uncertain how to proceed. I took each of them up in 

 their turn, and with a view to ascertain the range of their vi- 



