The Life of the Caterpillar 



rail, a work of general interest to which each 

 contributes his thread. 



What is the use of all this luxury? Could 

 they not, like other caterpillars, walk about 

 without these costly preparations? I see two 

 reasons for their mode of progression. It 

 is night when the Processionaries sally forth 

 to browse upon the pine-leaves. They leave 

 their nest, situated at the top of a bough, in 

 profound darkness ; they go down the denuded 

 pole till they come to the nearest branch that 

 has not yet been gnawed, a branch which be- 

 comes lower and lower by degrees as the con- 

 sumers finish stripping the upper storeys; they 

 climb up this untouched branch and spread 

 over the green needles. 



When they have had their suppers and be- 

 gin to feel the keen night air, the next thing 

 is to return to the shelter of the house. 

 Measured in a straight line, the distance is 

 not great, hardly an arm's length; but it can- 

 not be covered in this way on foot. The 

 caterpillars have to climb down from one 

 crossing to the next, from the needle to the 

 twig, from the twig to the branch, from the 

 branch to the bough and from the bough, by 

 a no less angular path, to go back home. It 



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