72 LIFE IN THE INSECT WORLD. 



caterpillar may find plenty of materials around 

 it, both for food and clothing ; for, like some 

 others of which I have told you, it will not re- 

 main uncovered, and as soon as it is hatched, it 

 goes to work to make itself a little garment, or 

 case, of wool. For this purpose, it cuts off the 

 long hairs or nap of the cloth, and using its own 

 body (as is the practice with caterpillars) for a 

 measuring rule, makes a little case just its own 

 length, with a hole in the end, out of which it 

 thrusts its head when it eats, and feeds upon the 

 shorter hairs which form the body of the cloth. 

 As the caterpillar grows, its case becomes too 

 small, and it is obliged to enlarge it. For this 

 purpose, it cuts it open on one side, and sets in 

 a piece of cloth, more neatly than a tailor could 

 put a stitch in a coat ; it then opens the other 

 side, which it pieces in the same manner. It 

 has grown longer, too, and the case is of course 

 too short, and it is obliged to lengthen it by put- 

 ting a piece on each end ; so that if the origi- 

 nal color of the case be white, and the caterpil- 

 lar, when it is ready to enlarge it, should be 

 placed upon green cloth, it would have a green 

 stripe down each side, and a green piece at each 

 end. 



