BUTTERFLIES 



91 



Red-humped Apple Tree 

 "Caterpillar" 



(a) moth; (b) caterpillar 

 natural size 



tin- Capricorn, so peculiar for its long antennae. An.l 

 the worm found in our ripe cherries, which is so 

 repugnant to us, what does it become? It becomes 

 a beautiful fly, its wings adorned with four bands of 

 black velvet. And so on with others. 



44 Well, this initial state 

 of the insect, this worm, 

 first form of youth, is called 

 tlu> larva. The wonderful 

 change which transforms the 

 larva into a perfect insect is 

 called metamorphosis. C at 

 ci pillars are larvae. By 

 metamorphosis they turn 

 into those beautiful butter- 

 flies whose wings, decorated with the richest colors, 

 fill us with admiration. The Argus, now so beauti- 

 ful with its celestial blue wings, was first a poor 

 hairy caterpillar; the splendid swallowtail began by 

 being a green caterpillar with black stripes across 

 it and red spots on its sides. Out of these despicable 

 vermin metamorphosis has made those delight ml 

 creatures which only the flowers can rival in elegance. 



"You all know the tale of Cinderella. The sisters 

 have left for the ball, very proud, very smart. Cin- 

 d T'-lla, her heart lull, is watching the kettle. The 

 godmother arrives. 'Go,' says she, 'to the garden 

 and .ir't a pumpkin.' And behold, the scooped-out 

 pumpkin changes un<lrr the godmother's wand, into 

 M',l carriage. '< "mdeivlla,' says she again, 



'op'ii the mouse-trap.' Six miee run out of it, and 

 are no sooner touched 1>\ the magic wand than they 



