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II. A butterfly depesits her eggs about the middle of 

 summer on tiie leaf of a plumb-tree ; the number of 

 these eggs is three or four hundred. After some days, 

 there issues from each of them a very small caterpillar. 

 They are so tar from dispersing themselves on the ad- 

 joining leaves, that they all continue together on that 

 whereon they first received their being : the same spirit 

 of society unites them. They apply themselves imme- 

 diately, in concert, in the spinning of a web, which at 

 firet is very thin ; but they afterwards make it stronger, 

 by gradually adding jnew threads to it : this web is a 

 real tent spread upon the leaf, under which the young 

 caterpillars shelter themselves. As they increase in 

 bulk, they extend their lodging by fresh layers of leaves 

 and silk : the spaces contained between these layers are 

 apartments, ali of which communicate by doors made 

 on purpose. In this nest they pass the winter, placed 

 near each other, without motion, till the returning spring 

 enlivens them, and invites them to bronze on the sprout- 

 ing leaves. Lastly, towards the month of May, the so- 

 ciety is dissolved ; every caterpillar separates from his 

 companion, and spends the remainder of his life in soli- 

 tude : being then become stronger, a state of society is 

 no longer necessary for them. 



12. The caterpillars that live on the oak, and w hose- 

 societies are much more numerous than those of the 

 common, are very singular in their proceedings. They 

 set out from their nest at sun-set, and march 112 proces- 

 sion, under the conduct of a chief, whose motions they 

 follow : the ranks are at first composed only of one ca- 

 terpillar, afterwards of two, three, four, and sometimes 

 more. The chief has nothing in him that may distin- 

 guish him from the rest, but 'by being the lirst, and that 

 he is not constantly, because every other caterpillar may, 

 in his turn, occupy the same place. After having taken 

 their repast on the leaves around them, they return to 

 their nest in the same order ; and this continues during 

 the whole life of the caterpillar. When they have ar- 

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