28 IN THE ACADIAN LAND. 



become a winged beauty caressing the clover 

 and lilacs, and slanting down the sunbeams on 

 gilded vans. Before the next step is taken the 

 caterpillar makes himself fast by a loop of web 

 to a leaf, or leafstalk, or twig, and becomes by 

 another change a chrysalis a hard shell with 

 a blunt end for the head, outlines of cases under 

 which the wings will grow, and all of a dull old- 

 gold color, with the tail end fastened by web to 

 the leaf or twig, looking like an Indian pappoose 

 on its mother's back. It has now to run the 

 risks of hungry birds for many months till the 

 next spring. More than that, there are small 

 flies all fitted with hollow drills, to make holes 

 in this chrysalis, and through these drills shoot 

 their eggs into what promised to become a but- 

 terfly, and under the new arrangement will 

 only furnish food for another insect. Such are 

 Nature's ways, and, begin where we will to in- 

 vestigate her, she presently leads us into worlds 

 of wonders, where the wisest of mortals is a 

 stranger. 



One might conclude that the object of Nature 

 was to create a beautiful butterfly to enjoy itself 

 playing hide-and-seek among the flowers, sipping 

 their sweets and bathing in the sunshine. One 

 might think that these crawling caterpillars are 

 only steps to this beautiful and delightful end. 



