The Life of the Caterpillar 



worldly goods. Scattered crumbs tell us that 

 wc have caught him feasting. 



Let us take his prize away from him. We 

 shall see a sort of irregular, rugged purse, 

 closed on every side and varying in size be- 

 tween a pea and a cherry. Outside it is red- 

 dish, rough with little warts; inside it is 

 smooth and white. The spores, which are 

 ovoid and diaphanous, are contained, in rows 

 of eight, in long satchels. By these charac- 

 teristics we recognize an underground cryp- 

 togamous product, nearly related to the truf- 

 fles and known to botanists as Hydnocystis 

 arenaria, TuL. 



This throws a light upon the habits of the 

 Bolboceras and upon the reason why his bur- 

 rows are so frequently renewed. In the calm 

 of the twilight, the little gadabout takes to 

 the fields, chirruping softly as he goes, cheer- 

 ing himself with song. He explores the soil, 

 questions It as to its contents, just as the Dog 

 does when hunting for truffles. His sense of 

 smell warns him when the coveted morsel is 

 underneath, covered by a few inches of sand. 

 Certain of the exact spot where the thing lies, 

 he digs straight down and never fails to 

 reach it. As long as the provisions last, he 



314 



