The Life of the Caterpillar 



obese ! And thus I entertained no apprehen- 

 sions. 



Ah, little did I know the bloodthirsty fury 

 of which the grapnelled insect is capable! 

 Next morning, to my bitter astonishment, I 

 find the tiny Mantis devouring the huge 

 Moth. The head and the front part of the 

 breast have already disappeared. Horrible 

 creature ! What a disappointment I owe to 

 you ! Farewell to my researches, which I 

 had cherished in my imagination all night 

 long; not for three years shall I be 

 able to resume them, for lack of a sub- 

 ject. 



Bad luck must not, however, make us for- 

 get the little that we have learnt. At one 

 sitting, some sixty males came. Consider- 

 ing the rarity of the Monk and remember- 

 ing the years of fruitless searches conducted 

 by my assistants and myself, we stand 

 astounded at this number. With a female 

 for a bait, the undiscoverable has suddenly 

 become a multitude. 



Now where did they come from? From 

 every quarter and from very far, beyond a 

 doubt. During my years of exploration of 

 my neighbourhood, I have got to know every 



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