6 LADY-BIRD TRANSFORMATIONS. 



latter, fresh arrived from the hop-grounds where each in its 

 larva state had slain its thousands of victims. Of the long, 

 flat, wingless bodies of these children of the Lady -bird, so dis- 

 similar to that of their t parent when arrived at her rotund 

 maturity, and so seldom identified with the adult insect, our 

 figure will convey a better notion than detailed description, 

 and a glance at the living larv ce, or grubs themselves, the best 

 of all. Few are the rose-trees, hop- vines, or nettles, whereon 

 they may not be found in abundance in the month of May. 



The second shape which the Lady -bird puts on is that of the 

 pupa, correspondent to the aurelia or chrysalis of a Butterfly. 

 To know what is the form then assumed, our readers would 

 do best to seek it on the above-named plants, where after a 

 previous glance at our figure they will be at no loss to dis- 

 cover the original. As for the history of our Lady -bird's life, 

 in this its second epoch, a few words suffice, because it is that 

 in which there is very little life about it. Having, in a few 

 weeks, gorged as a grub her fill of Aphides, she fixes herself 



by a sort of natural glue, either to a stalk or to the under 





 surface of the leaf which has served the purpose of pasturing 



her devoured flock. Thus secured from falling, she puts off 

 the pupa skin with the limbs which were requisite to obtain 

 her prey ; and then, in a form of outward inactivity, bides the 

 time until by inward working and expansion she has arrived 

 at the perfection of her nature. Casting off her slough, she 

 now emerges in all the polished rotundity and painted finish of 



