BUYING CATERPILLARS. 59 



take the foodless caterpillars out for a walk, and 

 try them with various plants, being much amused 

 by the way the little creatures angrily jerk their 

 heads away from the wrong leaves before eagerly 

 fastening on the proper food. I have had large 

 caterpillars brought me tied tightly round the 

 middle with a piece of grass, they popping out 

 like an indiarubber ball when the grass was cut, 

 seemingly none the worse for the pressure. 



In the busy months, from November to July, 

 I am generally out collecting about seven hours 

 every day, walking or standing all the time, and 

 when I go long distances I am out even longer 

 still, as I then have to make a scramble to start 

 much earlier so as to arrive on the collecting 

 ground when the butterflies first appear ; then 

 when I return I have barely time to transfer my 

 day's catch to other boxes, and lay out some of 

 the best, give out what I mean to have cooked 

 for dinner, and have a refreshing wash and change 

 of dress, before the sun sets and it is time to rush 

 out after the sphynx-moths luckily only in my 

 own ground, where a pretty Indian star-shaped 



