The Processionary: the Procession 



Why cannot I read what passes under his 

 black, shiny skull, so like a drop of tar? To 

 judge by actions, there is here a small dose 

 of discernment which is able, after experi- 

 menting, to recognize excessive roughnesses, 

 over-slippery surfaces, dusty places that offer 

 no resistance and, above all, the threads left 

 by other excursionists. This is all or nearly 

 all that my long acquaintance with the Pro- 

 cessionaries has taught me as to their men- 

 tality. Poor brains. Indeed; poor creatures, 

 whose commonwealth has its safety hanging 

 upon a thread I 



The processions vary greatly In length. 

 The finest that I have seen manoeuvring on 

 the ground measured twelve or thirteen yards 

 and numbered about three hundred caterpil- 

 lars, drawn up with absolute precision in a 

 wavy line. But, If there were only two In a 

 row, the order would still be perfect: the 

 second touches and follows the first. 



By February I have processions of all 

 lengths in the greenhouse What tricks can I 

 play upon them ? I see only two : to do away 

 with the leader; and to cut the thread. 



The suppression of the leader of the file 

 produces nothing striking. If the thing Is 



67 



