132 NATURE STUDY LESSONS FOR PRIMARY GRADES 



the under side of a milkweed leaf. It was cylin- 

 drical, with a conical top. In color it resembled 

 a pearl. 



In the morning, three days later, the cone at the 

 top of the cylinder was found to have turned black 

 or purple, and later in the day black specks were seen 

 in the cylinder. About twelve o'clock two bright 

 dots, looking like bubbles, appeared on the purple 

 dome, and kept shifting from one point to another. 

 Suddenly there was a bright flash which looked 

 as if a blow from within had cracked, into many 

 pieces the dome, but it was not broken. There 

 were now seen to be rapid motions inside the egg. 

 The dome looked to be made of dainty silver 

 rafters with still daintier crosspieces. Now the 

 jaws of the imprisoned caterpillar began cutting 

 the silver rafters at the base of one side of the 

 dome. The light which was admitted changed the 

 silver rafters to rows of beads, red separated by 

 short gold ones. A large hole was eaten in the 

 side of the cylinder, then the black head of the tiny 

 caterpillar was thrust out, followed by its white 

 body, which bore a mere suggestion of yellow 

 rings. 



The shell, after the caterpillar had left it, was 



