"WHAT AILS HIM? 243 



whole family, which he continues to do without 

 any outward signs of inconvenience or protest, 

 which, of course, would be useless. I fancy he 

 must have frequent attacks of that ' all - gone ' 

 feeling that we hear so much about in dyspeptic 

 people, but if he does he gives no hint of it by 

 his looks, as he devours one leaf after another 

 along the stem, and displays his plump propor- 

 tions with evident pride like the whole tribe of 

 horny-tailed ' sphinx ' caterpillars to which he be- 

 longs. 



" But a few days ago he had a sudden and ter- 

 rible experience. He had begun to think of re- 

 tiring down among the dried leaves on the ground 

 and spinning a cocoon, and there were bright vis- 

 ions of a future life filling his little green head 

 visions of a life on wings, as quick as thought, in 

 an atmosphere of twilight and fragrance, and all 

 manner of sweet indulgences. But his beautiful 

 dream was interrupted, and probably will remain 

 only as a dream. At one moment we see him in 

 his prime, a perfect specimen for the * bug-hunter ' 

 who is after the larva of Chcerocampa pampina- 

 trix. In ten minutes we look at him again: we 

 find his body shrunken and covered with minute 

 white grubs, all standing on their tails, which 

 are still imbedded in his body ; here one bare- 

 ly emerged ; here another half enshrouded in 

 a gauzy cocoon ; others with their bodies bent 



