THE "WOOD WASP" AND AUTUMN INSECTS 495 



The chrysalis at the moment 

 of bursting. 



Knowing 



Five seconds later. 



the 

 difficulty which 

 the busy Nature 

 lover has in main- 

 taining such an 

 uninterrupted 

 watch, I have en- 

 deavoured to re- 

 cord, by means 

 of the camera, an 

 actual emergence 

 of the Peacock 

 Butterfly — a task 

 that involves no 



little trouble and care, as any who will 

 try the experiment may prove. 



On page 494 the chrysalis is shown as it 

 hung for eight days. On the ninth day 

 it had changed colour very considerably. 

 The butterfly was so far advanced in its 

 development that its coloured wings 

 showed through the transparent chrysalis 

 skin. Near midday, without the slightest 

 warning, the chrysalis suddenly burst 

 open and the butterfly literally tumbled 

 out head downwards. The chrysalis is 

 shown above at the moment of bursting. 

 Fi\'e seconds later it appeared as shown 

 in the centre. Just as one expected to see 

 the butterfly fall to the ground, it was 

 seen to be clinging to the empty chrysahs 

 skin. fr)r it instantly grasped the stem with 

 its long, second pair of legs. At that 



moment it was a most dejected looking object, 

 but ten seconds later it had fullv extended its 

 wings as shown in the final photograph. 



Although extended, the wings were not ready for 

 flight, but were soft and hmp. Twenty minutes 

 later, however, they had dried and become under 

 muscular control, and the insect opened them and 

 exposed the velvety sheen of their surface to the 

 sunlight, re\'eahng a display of lovely colours— reds, 

 browns, yellows, greys, and black all beautifully 

 blended— while four bright blue "eyes" almost 

 dazzled the gaze as they caught the sunhght. 

 Only some two weeks before this exquisitely 



adorned insect \\-as 

 an uninviting, black, 

 spiny caterpillar, 

 devouring nettle 

 leaves with as- 

 tonishing rapidity ; 

 where and how it 

 acquired its wings 

 so gorgeously 

 painted, in the brief 

 chrysalis period, is 

 a secret hidden deep 

 w i t h i n Nature's 

 book. 



John J. Ward. 



Fifteen seconds after emergence from the chrysalis. 



THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PEACOCK 

 BUTTERFLY. 



