60 HISTORY OF 



one or two days, preparing to change into an 

 aurelia, somewhat in the manner they made pre- 

 parations for changing their skin. They then 

 appear with their bodies bent into a bow, which 

 they now and then are seen to straighten ; they 

 make no use of their legs, but if they attempt to 

 change place, do it by the contortions of their 

 body. In proportion as their change into an au- 

 relia approaches, their bodies become more and 

 more bent, while their extensions and convulsive 

 contractions become more frequent. The hinder 

 end of the body is the part which the animal first 

 disengages from its caterpillar skin ; that part of 

 the skin remains empty, while the body is drawn 

 up contractedly towards the head. In the same 

 manner they disengage themselves from the two 

 succeeding rings, so that the animal is then lodg- 

 ed entirely in the fore part of its caterpillar cover- 

 ing ; that half which is abandoned remains lax 

 and empty, while the fore part, on the contrary, 

 is swoln and distended. The animal having thus 

 quitted the hinder part of its skin to drive itself 

 up into the fore part, still continues to heave and 

 work as before ; so that the skull is soon seen to 

 burst into three pieces, and a longitudinal opening 

 is made in the three first rings of the body, through 

 which the insect thrusts forth its naked body, 

 with strong efforts. Thus at last it entirely gets e 

 free from its caterpillar skin, and for ever forsakes 

 its most odious reptile form. 



The caterpillar, thus stripped of its skin for the 

 last time, is now become an aurelia ; in which the 

 parts of the future butterfly are all visible, but in 



