106 THE STORY-BOOK OF SCIENCE 



break the hen's egg that imprisons it, the tiny little 

 chicken has at the end of its beak a little hard point 

 made on purpose; and the butterfly is to have noth- 

 ing to open its cocoon? Oh, yes! But you would 

 never guess the singular tool that it will use. It 

 will use its eyes 



"Its eyes?" interrupted Claire in amazement. 



"Yes. Insects' eyes are covered with a cap of 

 transparent horn, hard and cut in facets. A mag- 

 nifying glass is needed in order to distinguish these 

 facets, they are so fine; but, fine as they are, they 

 have sharp bones which all together can, in time of 

 need, be used as a grater. The butterfly begins then 

 by moistening with a drop of saliva the point of the 

 cocoon it wishes to attack, and then, applying an eye 

 to the spot thus softened, it writhes, knocks, 

 scratches, files. One by one the threads of silk suc- 

 cumb to the rasping. The hole is made, the butter- 

 fly comes out. What do you think about it? Do not 

 animals sometimes have intelligence enough for 

 four? Which of us would have thought of forcing 

 the prison walls by striking them with the eye?" 



"The butterfly must have studied a long time to 

 think of that ingenious way!" <|ueri< d Hinile. 



"The butterfly does not study, does not reflect; 

 it knows at once what to do and how to do well what- 

 ever concerns it. Another has reflected for it." 



"Who?" 



"God himself! God, the great wise one. The 

 silkworm butterfly is not pretty. It is whitish, tun- 

 bellied, heavy. It does not fly like the others from 

 flower to flower, for it takes no nourishment. As 



