THE PSYCHES 



time the work glittered with little sparks, like specks 

 of crystal or grains of sugar. It was my manufacturers' 

 masterpiece. 



The next material I offered them was a piece of 

 blotting-paper. Here again my grubs did not hesitate : 

 they lustily scraped the surface and made themselves a 

 paper coat. Indeed, they were so much pleased with 

 this that when I gave them their native case they scorned 

 it, preferring the blotting-paper. 



To others I gave nothing at all. Not to be baffled, 

 however, they hastened to scrape the cork of the tube 

 and break it into atoms. Out of these they made them- 

 selves a frock of cork-grains, as faultless as though they 

 and their ancestors had always made use of this material. 

 The novelty of the stuff, which perhaps no Caterpillar 

 had ever used before, made no difference in the cut of the 

 garment. 



Finding them ready to accept any vegetable matter 

 that was dry and light, I next tried them with animal 

 and mineral substances. I cut a strip from the wing of 

 a Great Peacock Moth, and placed two little naked 

 Caterpillars upon it. For a long time they both hesi- 

 tated. Then one of them resolved to use the strange 

 carpet. Before the day was over he had clothed himself 

 in grey velvet made of the Great Peacock's scales. 



I next took some soft, flaky stones, such as will break 



