146 THE CANADIAN liOKTICULTUKIST, 



which it is to fasten itself to the silken knob from which it is hanging. 

 To withdraw this black spike from the shrivelled skin that envelojjes 

 it, and fasten its hooks into the little knob, so that it can hang there 

 while the skin falls to the ground, is the feat now to be performed. 

 Fig. 13, h, represents the creature at this most interesting and critical 

 moment. How shall it sustain itself in mid-air while this is being 

 done ? It has neither hands, nor feet, nor mouth by which to hold on 

 and keep itself from falling. And yet it will do this very thing, and 

 though the writer has witnessed this performance probably not less 

 than a thousand times, he has never seen it fail to succeed. Who 

 taught this creature how ? 



Look now at fig. 13, c, and you will learn how it is done. It 

 seizes a portion of the skin between the joints of the upper portion of 

 the body, and compressing the joints together, holds securely by the 

 skin while it withdraws the black spike, and bending it over the mass 

 ®f skin fastens the hooks with which the point is armed into the silken 

 knob, and then,*letting go of the skin, it w^riggles itself about, bedding 

 the hooks more securely in the silk, and working tlie skin loose from 

 its fastening- until it drops to the gi'ound. 



When this has been acccmpli&hed, it ceases its hurried movements, 



as though wearied by its OAvn exertions, and slowly contracts the 



upper segments until it assumes the appearance 



shown in fig. 14. In a little while it wall have be- 



cMDe quite hard and motionless. If you touch it, 



there will be no evidence that it feels your touch, 



and to you it will feel cold and lifeless. But it is a 



pretty object to look upon, of a beautiful pale-green, 



dotted with gold, with a crimped band of gold 



margined with black more than half way around the 



Fig. 14. body ; it seems to be a casket containing something 



of more than common interest. 



In about a week the chrysalis will begin to change its color, 

 gradually growing darker until the green is entirely gone, and the colors, 

 of the butterfly within can be distinctly seen through its now trans- 

 parent walls. The butterfly is now ready to come out of its prison, 

 and while you are watching it a sudden crackling noise announces the 

 fact that the chrysalis has been split, and the head and fore legs of the 

 butterfly begin to appear, followed very speedily by the whole body. 



