The Larva and the Nymph 



Henceforth, the skilful worker, safe within 

 her impenetrable shelter, can yield to the 

 irresistible lethargy that invades her, to that 

 nameless mode of existence, neither sleep 

 nor waking, neither death nor life, from 

 which she will emerge, ten months from now, 

 transfigured. Very few cocoons are so com- 

 plicated as hers. It consists, in fact, in 

 addition to a coarse outer network, of three 

 distinct layers, presenting the appearance of 

 three cocoons one inside the other. Let us 

 examine in detail these several courses of the 

 silken edifice. 



There is first an open woof, of a rough 

 cobweb texture, whereon the larva begins by 

 isolating itself, hanging as in a hammock, to 

 work more easily at the cocoon proper. This 

 unfinished net, hastily woven to serve as a 

 builder's scaffolding, is made of threads flung 

 out at random, which hold together grains of 

 sand, bits of earth and the leavings of the 

 larva's feast: the Cricket's thighs, still braided 

 with red, his shanks and pieces of his skull. 

 The next covering, which is the first covering 

 of the cocoon proper, consists of a much- 

 creased felted tunic, light-red in colour, very 

 fine and very flexible. A few threads flung 

 out here and there join it to the previous scaf- 

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