788 



A HISTORY OF 



Some of this tribe, at this period also, are 

 seen entirely to change colour; and the 

 vivacity of the tints, in all, seems faded. 

 Those of them which are capable of spinning 

 themselves a web, set about this operation; 

 those which have already spun, await the 

 change in the best manner they are able. 

 The web or cone, with which some cover 

 themselves, hides the aurelia contained wilh- 

 in from the view ; but in others, where it is 

 more transparent, the caterpillar, when i( has 

 done spinning, strikes into it the claws of the 

 two feet under the tail, and aflerwards forces 

 in the tail itself, by contracting those claws, 

 and violently striking the feet one against the 

 other. If, however, they be taken from their 

 web at this time, they appear in a state of 

 great languor;. and. incapable of walking, re- 

 main on that spot where they are placed. In 

 this condition they remain one or two days, 

 preparing to change into an aurelia ; some- 

 what in the manner they made preparations 

 for changing their skin. They then appear 

 with their bodies bent into a bow, which they 

 now and then are seen to straighten : they 

 make no use of their legs ; but if they attempt 

 to change place, do it by the contortions of 

 their body. In proportion as their change 

 into an aurelia approaches, their body be- 

 comes more and more bent; while their ex- 

 tensions and convulsive contractions become 

 more frequent. The hinder end of the body 

 is the part which the animal first disengages 

 from its caterpillar skin; that part of the skin 

 remains empty, while the body is drawn up 

 contracledly towards the head. In the same 

 manner they disengage themselves from the 

 two succeeding rings; so that the animal is 

 then lodged entirely in the fore part of its 

 caterpillar covering: that half which is 

 abandoned, remains flaccid and empty ; while 

 the fore part, on the contrary, is swollen and 

 distended. The animal, having thus quitted 

 the hinder part of its skin, to drive itself up 

 into the fore part, still continues to heave and 

 work as before : so that the skull is soon seen 

 to burst into three pieces, and a longitudinal 

 opening is made in the three first rings of the 

 body,through which the insect thrusts forth its 

 Baked body with strong efforts. Thus at last it 

 entirely gets free from its caterpillar skin, and 

 Jbr ever forsakes its most odious reptile form. 



The caterpillar, thus stripped of its skin 

 for the last. time, is now become an aurelia; 

 in which the parts of the future butterfly are 

 all visible; but in so soft a state, that the 

 smallest touch can discompose them. The 

 animal is now become helpless and mo- 

 tionless; but Oi.ly wails tor the assistance of 

 the air to dry up the moisture on Us surface, 

 and supply it wiihacrnsi capable of resisting 

 external injuries. Immediately after bring 

 stripped of its caterpillar skin, it is of a green 

 colour, especially in those parts which are 

 distended by an extraordinary afflux of ani- 

 mal moisture; but in ten or twelve hours 

 after being thus exposed, its parts harden, 

 the air forms its external covering into a firm 

 crust, and in about four and twenty hours the 

 aurelia may be handled, without endangering 

 the little animal that is thus left in so defence- 

 less a situation. Such is the history of the 

 little pod or cone that is found so common 

 by every pathway, sticking to nettles, and 

 sometimes shining like polished gold. From 

 the beautiful and resplendent colour, with 

 which it is thus sometimes adorned, some 

 authors have called it a Chrysalis, implying 

 a creature made of gold. 



Such are the efforts by which these little 

 animals prepare for a state of perfection ; but 

 their care is still greater to provide th.'-m- 

 selves a secure retreat, during this season of 

 their imbecility. It would seem like erecting 

 themselves a monument, where they were to 

 rest secure, until nature had called them into 

 a new and more improved existence. For 

 this purpose, some spin themselves a cone op 

 web, in which they lie secure till they have 

 arrived at maturity : others, that cannot spin 

 so copious a covering, suspend themselves by 

 the tail, in some retreat where they are not 

 likely to meet disturbances. Some mix sand 

 with their gummy and moist w.ebs, and thus 

 make themselves a secure incrustation; while 

 others, before their change, bury themselves 

 in the ground, and thus avoid the numerous 

 dangers that might attend them. One would 

 imagine that they were conscious of the pre- 

 cise time of their continuance in their aurelia 

 state; since their little sepulchres, with re- 

 sp^ct to the solidity of the building, are pro- 

 portioned to such duration. Those that are 

 to lie in that state of existence but a few days* 



