The Life of the Caterpillar 



labyrinth by the colonnade of green leaves 

 placed in rows one above the other through- 

 out the oval hall. Here the caterpillars 

 stay when resting, gathered on the columns, 

 heaped in confused masses. 



When we remove the hopeless tangle at the 

 top, we see the light filtering in at certain 

 points of the roof. These luminous points cor- 

 respond with the openings that communicate 

 with the outer air. The network that forms 

 a wrapper to the nest has no special exits. 

 To pass through it in either direction, the 

 caterpillars have only to push the sparse 

 threads aside slightly. The inner wall, a com- 

 pact rampart, has its doors; the flimsy outer 

 veil has none. 



It is in the morning, at about ten o'clock, 

 that the caterpillars leave their night-apart- 

 ment and come to take the sun on their ter- 

 race, under the awning which the points of 

 the leaves hold up at a distance. They spend 

 the whole day there dozing. Motionless, 

 heaped together, they steep themselves de- 

 liciously in warmth and from time to time be- 

 tray their bliss by nodding and wagging their 

 heads. At six or seven o'clock, when it grows 

 dark, the sleepers awake, bestir themselves, 



