The Birth of a Butterfly 



A miracle which you may watch free of charge 



ALL butterflies must pass through four 

 stages: first the egg; second the 

 caterpillar or larva; third the pupa or 

 chrysalis, and fourth the perfect insect or 

 imago. Some species require months to 

 complete the process. Many pass the 

 entire winter in the third, or chrysalis 

 stage, wound up in cocoons or buried in the 

 ground or under stones or loose bark. 



But the monarch, or ordinary milkweed 

 caterpillar, passes through all four stages in 

 from three to four weeks and 

 has no objection to being an 

 object of attention during the 

 whole time, so long as plenty of 

 fresh-cut milkweed is 

 provided. Without 

 this it would soon die, 

 for the milkweed leaf is the 

 only food it will take. It 

 spends its entire caterpillar 

 existence on the milkweed 

 plant on which it happened to 

 be born, eating greedily day and 

 night except for a few hours 

 every second day when it stops 

 to change its skin. 



This molting or skin-changing 

 process is necessary because the 

 little creature grows so rapidly 

 that the old skin becomes too 

 tight, like the breeches of a 

 rapidly-growing boy with a very 

 large appetite. The change 

 itself is quickly accomplished, 

 although the caterpillar finds 



it necessary to remain perfectly motion- 

 less for fully two hours before and after 

 the process. The skin simply splits down 

 the center of the back and the caterpillar 

 crawls out fully clad in a new suit just like 

 the old one, only more comfortable. This 

 happens five times during its caterpillar 

 stage of existence. 



If you want to witness 

 the miracle of the eater- 

 pi liar's transformation, 

 simply break off the stem 

 of the milkweed plant on 

 which you find the next 

 caterpillar you happen 

 upon, and place the end of 

 the plant in cool water. Be 

 sure and place a fresh stalk 

 in the water bottle each 

 day so that your guest 

 will be well supplied with 

 food, but let the caterpil- 

 lar crawl to the fresh stalk 

 unaided. Handling may 

 injure it. It will not try 

 to leave you so long as 

 you provide plenty of milk- 

 weed. 



The indications of the 

 end of this first 'stage of 

 existence will be a restless 

 crawling about on the plant. 

 The caterpillar is looking 

 for the safest place to stay 

 during the next stage of its 

 career. Doubtless the spot 



The monarch, or milk- 

 weed caterpillar which 

 completes its transfor- 

 mation in three weeks 



At left: Thp caterpil- 

 lar attaching itself to a 

 leaf by means of a 

 sticky, silky substance 



The pupa emerging 

 from an outgrown skin. 

 The old skin is split 

 open and dropped off 



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