CATERPILLARS. 



"O UTTERFLIES and gnats, bees, ants, flies, crickets, 

 JD and many other insects, have inspired writers of 

 poetry or prose ; but up to the present time, as far as we 

 know, no one has made the caterpillar his theme. Yet, 

 closely examined, many of the caterpillars are well-nigh as 

 gorgeous in their raiment as the most beautiful of butterflies. 

 The caterpillar is free from the flippancy and vanity of the 

 butterfly who spends by far the greater portion of its life 

 in play and flirtation ; it has business to do, and does it 

 conscientiously, and is indeed a character to be admired, 

 save in the matter of the destruction of choice vegetables, 

 for which, after all, its mother, who deposited the egg upon 

 them, is, in fact, solely responsible. The caterpillar is in- 

 finite in its variety of hue, but chiefly affects black, ashen 

 grey, and white, bright greens, yellows and browns with rich 

 bands or blotches of white, yellow and scarlet, and indeed 

 almost every variety of brilliant colour. Sometimes it is 

 soft, smooth, and hairless ; at others covered with a short, 

 thick, silken coat like velvet ; and occasionally bristling with 

 long, stiff hair, a very porcupine among its fellows. Cater- 

 pillars from the time they are born give evidence of the 

 possession of two predominant faculties, the one an all- 



