The Life of the Caterpillar 



fleece, is laid flat, pointing backwards. The 

 legs alone are free, fairly active and endowed 

 with a certain vigour. Thanks to this arrange- 

 ment, which does away with all awkward pro- 

 jections, the ascent through the soil is made 

 possible. 



True, every Moth, at the moment of quit- 

 ting her shell, is this sort of swathed mummy; 

 but the Pine Bombyx has in addition an ex- 

 ceptional aptitude rendered necessary by the 

 fact that she hatches under the ground. 

 While the others, once out of the cocoon, 

 hasten to spread their wings and are power- 

 less to defer their development, she, by virtue 

 of an indispensable privilege, remains in her 

 compact and wrapped-up condition as long 

 as circumstances demand it. Under my bell- 

 glasses I see some who, though born upon the 

 surface, for twenty-four hours drag them- 

 selves over the sand or cling to the pine- 

 branches, before untying their sashes and un- 

 furling them as wings. 



This delay is evidently essential. To as- 

 cend from beneath the earth and reach the 

 open air, the Moth has to bore a long tun- 

 nel, which requires time. She will take good 

 care not to spread her finery before emer- 

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