The Life of the Caterpillar 



caterpillar? Not a bit of it ! A book which, 

 judging by its recent date, should be the faith- 

 ful echo of our actual knowledge, informs us 

 that the Microgaster inserts her eggs direct 

 into the caterpillar's body. It goes on to say 

 that the parasitic vermin inhabit the chrysalis, 

 whence they make their way out by perfora- 

 ting the stout horny wrapper. Hundreds of 

 times have I witnessed the exodus of the 

 grubs ripe for weaving their cocoons; and the 

 exit has always been made through the skin 

 of the caterpillar and never through the 

 armour of the chrysalis. The fact that its 

 mouth is a mere clinging pore, deprived of 

 any offensive weapon, would even lead me to 

 believe that the grub is incapable of perfora- 

 ting the chrysalid's covering. 



This proved error makes me doubt the 

 other proposition, though logical, after all, 

 and agreeing with the methods followed by 

 a host of parasites. No matter: my faith in 

 what I read in print is of the slightest; I 

 perfer to go straight to facts. Before making 

 a statement of any kind, I want to see, what 

 I call seeing. It is a slower and more labori- 

 ous process ; but it is certainly much safer. 



I will not undertake to lie in wait for what 

 366 



