THE MILKWEED CATERPILLAR 133 



beautiful beyond description. It was like rare filigreed 

 silver, the pattern being the daintiest of feathers. 



The caterpillar nosed about for a few minutes, 

 then went back to the shell and took a few bites 

 of it ; left it, as if its freedom from cramped quarters 

 made it too happy to eat, but in ten minutes re- 

 turned to it again and ate voraciously for five 

 minutes or so; then after further investigation of 

 its premises returned to the egg for a larger 

 meal. 



The day after this little caterpillar came out, it 

 was killed by kindness. The teacher moved it to a 

 fresh leaf. It was too young to be disturbed, and 



died. 



MOULTING 



On August 6 of the following year we procured 

 a milkweed caterpillar not more than one fourth of 

 an inch long. It was eating round holes in the 

 milkweed leaf. It was light green, with yellow and 

 black transverse stripes. The head was black. On 

 the 9th of the month two black horns were noticed 

 on the front of the head and two shorter black ones 

 on the back of the posterior extremity. 



Two days later the light green color of the cater- 

 pillar had changed to bright yellow, of which there 



