COCOON OF EMPEROR MOTH. 283 



to the attacks of a number of insect enemies, who 

 might easily find entrance to it at the opening 

 thus left at one of its ends. This source of peril 

 has been foreseen. Within the exterior funnel- 

 shaped end, at some little distance down, the 

 insect has constructed a second funnel com- 

 posed of a similar circle of needle-pointed threads, 

 which, proceeding from the sides of the cocoon, 

 converge to a point, and form a cone through 

 which not the smallest aperture is left. From 

 the arched structure of this singular dome, and 

 from the fact just mentioned, that no visible opening 

 can be discerned in it from without, it is rendered 

 quite impenetrable to the most violent attacks of 

 besiegers, while it yields to the slightest pressure 

 from within, and allows the insect to emerge 

 from its cocoon with the utmost facility. When 

 it has passed through it, the elastic threads resume 

 their former position, and the empty cocoon pre- 

 sents just the same appearance that it did before. 

 A celebrated naturalist (Rosel), was sorely per- 

 plexed at this, the first time he had the gratifica- 

 tion of watching the insect escape. He states that 

 he could scarcely help thinking that there was 

 something supernatural in the appearance of one 



