The Life of the Caterpillar 



pillars show a little of his mother wit? Will 

 they, after many attempts, be able to break 

 the equilibrium of their closed circuit, which 

 keeps them on a road without a turning? 

 Will they make up their minds to swerve to 

 this side or that, which is the only method of 

 reaching their bundle of hay, the green branch 

 yonder, quite near, not two feet off ? 



I thought that they would and I was 

 wrong, I said to myself: 



"The procession will go on turning for 

 some time, for an hour, two hours perhaps; 

 then the caterpillars will perceive their mis- 

 take. They will abandon the deceptive road 

 and make their descent somewhere or other." 



That they should remain up there, hard 

 pressed by hunger and the lack of cover, 

 when nothing prevented them from going 

 away, seemed to me inconceivable imbecility. 

 Facts, however, forced me to accept the in-" 

 credible. Let us describe them in detail. 



The circular procession begins, as I have 

 said, on the 30th of January, about midday, 

 in splendid weather. The caterpillars march 

 at an even pace, each touching the stern of the 

 one in front of him. The unbroken chain 

 eliminates the leader with his changes of direc- 



74 



