LIFE OP A BUTTERFLY. 



17 



six days, taking no food and appearing to be asleep. At the end of six 



days, the outer skin bursts, and a large insect comes out. This walks 



feebly about for a few minutes whilst its large wings expand and 



spread out ; these wings become 



firm and stiff and we see that 



it is the butterfly again (fig. 



24) similar to the one first 



caught. This butterfly will fly 



away, mate and again lay 



eggs, which will again hatch to 



caterpillars, the cycle beginning 



again. 



This is a very short descrip- 

 tion of what occurs in the life 

 of this butterfly and similar 

 changes take place in the life of every butterfly. "We see in it four 

 stages the egg, the caterpillar, the chrysalis, and the butterfly. 



During the egg stage the caterpillar is formed from the germ; 

 the caterpillar feeds, grows larger and moults; at each moult there are 

 only small changes, and during the growth in size, covering five moults, 



FIG. 23. 



Chrysalis of the Butterfly. 



FIG. 24. 

 Butterfly. 



the insect changes but little; its whole business is feeding, growing 

 larger, and laying up a store of fat. "When the caterpillar is full grown, 



9 



