The Life of the Caterpillar 



plans : I wanted to find out how the family of 

 the Large White Butterfly behaves when the 

 cold weather sets In. Things happened just 

 as I wished. At the end of November, the 

 caterpillars, having grown to the desired ex- 

 tent, left the cabbages, one by one,- and began 

 to roam about the walls. None of them fixed 

 himself there or made preparations for the 

 transformation. I suspected that they wanted 

 the choice of a spot in the open air, exposed to 

 all the rigours of winter. I therefore left 

 the door of the hothouse open. Soon, the 

 whole crowd had disappeared. 



I found them dispersed all over the neigh- 

 bouring walls, some thirty yards off. The 

 thrust of a ledge, the eaves formed by a pro- 

 jecting bit of mortar served them as a shelter 

 where the chrysalid moult took place and 

 where the winter was passed. The Cabbage- 

 caterpillar possesses a robust constitution, un- 

 susceptible to torrid heat or Icy cold. All 

 that he needs for his metamorphosis Is an airy 

 lodging, free from permanent damp. 



The inmates of my fold, therefore, move 

 about for a few days on the trelllswork, 

 anxious to travel afar In search of a wall. 

 Finding none and realizing that time presses, 



350 



