THE PSYCHES 67 



skin, and there her remains dry up. Even after death she 

 stays at her post. 



If the outer case be now opened it will be found to contain 

 the chrysalid wrapper, uninjured except for the opening in 

 front, by which the Psyche came out. The male Moth, 

 when obliged to make his way through the narrow pass, 

 would find his wings and his plumes very cumbersome articles. 

 For this reason he makes a start for the door while he is still 

 in the chrysalis state, and comes half-way out. Then, as 

 he bursts his amber-coloured tunic, he finds, right in front 

 of him, an open space where flight is possible. 



But the mother Moth, being unprovided with wings and 

 plumes, is not compelled to take any such precautions. Her 

 cylinder-like form is bare, and differs very little from that of 

 the Caterpillar. It allows her to crawl, to slip into the narrow 

 passage, and to come forth without difficulty. So she leaves 

 her cast skin behind her, right at the back of the case, well 

 covered by the thatched roof. 



And this is an act of prudence, showing her deep concern 

 for the fate of her eggs. They are, in fact, packed as though 

 in a barrel, in the parchment-like bag formed by the cast 

 skin. The Moth has methodically gone on laying eggs in that 

 receptacle till it is full. Not satisfied with bequeathing her 

 house and her velvet coronet to her offspring, as the last act 

 of her life she leaves them her skin. 



Wishing to observe the course of events at my ease, I 

 once took one of these chrysalid bags, stuffed with eggs, from 

 its outer casing of sticks, and placed it by itself, beside its 

 case, in a glass tube. In the first week of July I suddenly 

 found myself in possession of a large family. The hatching 

 took place so quickly that the new-born Caterpillars, about 

 forty in number, had already clothed themselves in my 

 absence. 



They wore a garment like a sort of Persian head-dress, 

 in dazzling white plush. Or, to be more commonplace, a 

 white cotton night-cap without a tassel. Strange to say, 



