The Life of the Caterpillar 



tion of the separate shells. All these frames 

 rest upon those adjoining and, mixing up their 

 threads, become a common edifice wherein 

 each grub contrives a shelter for itself. Here 

 at last the real cocoon is spun, a pretty little 

 piece of closely-woven work. 



In my rearing-jars, I obtain as many groups 

 of those tiny shells as my future experiments 

 can wish for. Three-fourths of the caterpil- 

 lars have supplied me with them, so ruthless 

 has been the toll of the spring births. I lodge 

 these groups, one by one, in separate glass 

 tubes, thus forming a collection on which I 

 can draw at will, while, in view of my ex- 

 periments, I keep under observation the whole 

 swarm produced by one caterpillar. 



The adult Microgaster appears a fortnight 

 later, in the middle of June. There are fifty 

 in the first tube examined. The riotous mul- 

 titude is in the full enjoyment of the pairing- 

 season, for the two sexes always figure among 

 the guests of any one caterpillar. What 

 animation ! What an orgy of love ! The 

 carnival of those pigmies bewilders the ob- 

 server and makes his head swim. 



Most of the females, wishful of liberty, 

 plunge down to the waist between the glass of 

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