NOVEMBER 231 



he reached the surface of the water he waited 

 awhile." 



1 'What was that for?" 



" Perhaps to take more breath, but no doubt also 

 to dry his new clothes. Very mean and crumpled 

 they looked. I doubted if there could really be 

 four serviceable wings tucked away in so small a 

 compass ; but gradually they opened out, and to my 

 delight the little creature spread them and flew 

 away into a new world." 



" Do you think," I asked, " that he would find 

 his greater dangers compensated by his larger out- 

 look upon life ? Do you think he would ever 

 regret the monotony and the comparative safety of 

 his watery home ? Do you think 



" Don't be silly ! " said Petunia. 



We searched in the deep carpet of dead leaves 

 in hopes of finding a butterfly or a ladybird tucked 

 away for the winter, but none were to be seen. 

 The total way in which the common butterflies 

 contrive to disappear with the sunshine is won- 

 derful. Some expose themselves freely on surfaces 

 harmonising with their colours, but they are none 

 the less difficult to distinguish even though the 

 searcher may be gazing intently at them the while. 

 Others dig down among thick leaves, or are buried 

 by autumnal storms to emerge safely when spring 

 has come back to the world. A remarkable ex- 

 ample of protection is seen in the Herald Moth, 

 which manages to live through the winter in com- 

 plete safety. It is a bright red in colour, very 

 similiar to a dead beech leaf, and over the red are 

 scumbled a few white spots resembling fungoid 



