NATURE LORE 



of the house a foot or more above the floor. The lat- 

 ter half of its body was attached to the board wall, 

 and the fore part curved up from it with bowed head. 

 The creature was motionless, and apparently ab- 

 sorbed in deep meditation. I stooped down and 

 examined it more closely. I saw that it was on the 

 eve of a great change. The surface of the board 

 immediately under the forward part of the body 

 had been silvered over with a very fine silken web 

 that was almost like a wash, rather than something 

 w^oven. Anchored to this on both sides, as if grown 

 out of the web, ran a very fine thread or cord up 

 over the caterpillar's back, which served to hold it 

 in place; it could lean against the thread as a sailor 

 leans against a rope thrown around him and tied to 

 the mast. With bowed head the future butterfly 

 hung there, and with bowed head I waited and 

 watched. Presently convulsive movements began 

 to traverse its body; through segment after seg- 

 ment a wave of effort seemed to pass. It was a be- 

 ginning of the travail pains of transformation. Then 

 in a twinkling a slight rent appeared in the skin on 

 the curve of the back, revealing the new light-green 

 surface underneath, the first glimpse of the chrys- 

 alis. The butterfly was being born. Slowly, as labor 

 continued, the split in the skin extended down the 

 back and over toward the head till the outlines 

 of the chrysalis became plainly visible. I was wit- 

 nessing that marvelous transformation in nature of 



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