CATERPILLARS SWIFT AND SLOW. 181 



from which, presently, he betakes himself to flight, and runs, 

 or more properly glides, away with a degree of celerity which 

 leaves no doubt of the excellent use he can make, on occasion, 

 of his eight pair of heels. 



The " Tiger," elsewhere spoken of, which, in clothing and 

 feeding and rolling, greatly resembles the above, is, like him, 

 swift of foot, even when attained to the weighty bulk of his 

 mature growth. 



As one of the foremost hindmost, rather of the creep- 

 ing caterpillars, has been noticed that of the Hawk- moth Fill- 

 pendula ; and the majority of its Sphinx-like brethren* are 

 slow footed as well as averse to movement. 



Caterpillars have other uses for their legs besides that of 

 locomotion, and every one of them is furnished with two sets 

 of feet differently constructed, and adapted to different pur- 

 poses. Of these, the six foremost are clawed, and are there- 

 fore handily convenient for holding and managing the leaves 

 used for food or habitation, or the threads employed in weav- 

 ing and suspension. The ten hinder, called prolegs, consist 

 of round fleshy protuberances, fringed with minute hooks, 

 which render them most excellent holdfasts against the shocks 

 of wind and weather by which, but for such grappling instru- 

 ments, our "spinning worms" would be continually exposed 

 to sudden dislodgment from their high "green workshops." 



Flies, wasps, and ichneumons, may be all considered run- 



* See Vignette. 



