142 MOTH TRANSFORMATIONS. 



either to the stalks of nettles whereon their caterpillars have sub 

 sisted, or upon adjacent walls and palings. By detaching care- 

 fully, then re-suspending them in their natural position, we shall 

 be able to observe, at home and at leisure, the exclusion of their 

 richly-coloured pinions from the gilded cases which look not 

 unworthy to enclose them. Or if we choose to follow them 

 through their two-fold transformations, thereby procuring to 

 ourselves a two-fold pleasure, it is now easy to collect and keep 

 some half-dozen of the caterpillars themselves, of which the 

 younger broods are still feeding in company on the nettle. 

 They are black and green, black-headed, and spiny coated. 



The " coming out" of Moths bears a general resemblance to 

 that of Butterflies, only that owing to the chrysalides of the 

 former being usually enveloped in a cocoon, or outer covering, 

 they have not only to burst from their aurelian skin, but also 

 to effect their egress through a barrier, sometimes of silk only, 

 but often fortified by much harder material. The Caterpillar 

 of the Great Goat-Moth (or Cossus), 1 a dweller within the 

 interior of oaks and willows, on the wood of which it is a feeder, 

 constructs itself a compact cell or case, of materials nearly 

 similar to those employed by the Puss 1 namely wood, reduced 

 partly by decay, partly by its own jaws, to the resemblance of 

 saw-dust. With this, bound together by silk, and cemented by 

 glue, it usually composes the exterior of its case, which is lined 

 also by a silken web. 



Our exploration of a hollow willow-tree was rewarded, at 

 the beginning of last August, by the discovery of such a cell, 2 

 (an oval, wood-covered cocoon, two inches and a half long), 

 from whence, in a few days, we had the infinite satisfaction of 

 beholding its inhabitant come forth. The first intimation of 

 the approaching event was a strange shaking of the solid 

 fabric; and presently, by dint, as it would seem, of violent 

 efforts, and the use of its hard bulky head as a battering-ram 

 against its prison wall, the creature, still clad in chrysalis mail, 

 1 Frontispiece- 2 Vignette to ' Moths as Operatives.' 



