﻿340 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  spinner 
  leaving 
  it, 
  and 
  commencing 
  to 
  cover 
  the 
  leaf-stalk 
  with 
  a 
  firm 
  

   envelope 
  of 
  silk, 
  which, 
  when 
  completed, 
  will 
  be 
  stronger 
  than 
  you 
  can 
  

   break 
  without 
  forcible 
  pulling. 
  You 
  will 
  now 
  be 
  gi"Ven 
  a 
  favorable 
  oppor- 
  

   tunity 
  as 
  the 
  caterpillar's 
  head 
  sways 
  from 
  side 
  to 
  side, 
  to 
  note 
  

   the 
  two 
  silken 
  semi-fluid 
  threads 
  emitted 
  from 
  the 
  pair 
  of 
  projecting 
  

   spinnerets 
  beneath 
  the 
  mouth, 
  but 
  uniting 
  and 
  drying 
  at 
  once 
  in 
  a 
  single 
  

   thread. 
  The 
  intelligence 
  that 
  leads 
  the 
  caterpillar 
  next 
  to 
  bind 
  securely 
  

   the 
  enveloped 
  leaf-stem 
  to 
  the 
  twig 
  by 
  throwing 
  band 
  after 
  band 
  abou 
  

   it, 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  event 
  of 
  the 
  twig 
  being 
  a 
  delicate 
  one 
  and 
  liable 
  to 
  be 
  

   broken 
  off, 
  then, 
  in 
  addition, 
  securing 
  the 
  twig 
  by 
  the 
  process 
  above 
  

   mentioned 
  to 
  its 
  parent 
  stalk 
  — 
  can 
  not 
  fail 
  of 
  amazing 
  you. 
  Do 
  you 
  

   think 
  it 
  simple 
  instinct, 
  working 
  in 
  one 
  unvarying 
  line 
  inherited 
  from 
  its 
  

   ancestors, 
  and 
  incapable 
  of 
  adapting 
  itself 
  to 
  diflerent 
  or 
  changed 
  con- 
  

   ditions 
  ? 
  Then 
  try 
  the 
  experiment 
  that 
  I 
  once 
  made, 
  and 
  learn 
  your 
  

   error. 
  When 
  all 
  of 
  this 
  preparatory 
  work 
  has 
  been 
  completed, 
  each 
  

   lashing 
  examined 
  over 
  and 
  over 
  again, 
  and 
  finally 
  pronounced 
  all 
  right 
  

   by 
  its 
  artificer 
  — 
  then 
  with 
  a 
  sharp 
  blade 
  of 
  your 
  knife, 
  quietly 
  and 
  neatly 
  

   sever 
  the 
  leaf-stalk 
  just 
  where 
  it 
  is 
  bound 
  to 
  the 
  twig 
  and, 
  replacing 
  it 
  

   with 
  accurate 
  adjustment, 
  insert 
  a 
  fine 
  insect 
  pin 
  to 
  hold 
  it 
  in 
  place. 
  

   You 
  will 
  not 
  have 
  long 
  to 
  wait 
  before 
  the 
  spinning 
  of 
  the 
  cocoon 
  will 
  be 
  

   arrested 
  and 
  a 
  reconnoitering 
  expedition 
  commenced. 
  Your 
  treacherous 
  

   work 
  is 
  discovered 
  as 
  soon 
  as 
  the 
  point 
  is 
  reached. 
  The 
  situation 
  is 
  at 
  

   once 
  taken 
  in 
  — 
  the 
  danger, 
  the 
  necessity 
  of 
  meeting 
  it, 
  and 
  how 
  best 
  to 
  

   do 
  it, 
  fully 
  comprehended. 
  You 
  may 
  not 
  read 
  in 
  the 
  microscopic 
  eyes 
  of 
  

   the 
  caterpillar, 
  the 
  successive 
  phases 
  of 
  anxiety, 
  alarm, 
  distrust, 
  annoy- 
  

   ance, 
  anger, 
  resolve, 
  triumph, 
  but 
  you 
  may 
  see 
  him 
  apply 
  himself 
  to 
  the 
  

   task 
  of 
  lashing 
  anew 
  the 
  foot-stalk 
  to 
  the 
  twig 
  and 
  thus 
  bid 
  defiance 
  to 
  

   your 
  perfidious 
  pin, 
  around 
  which 
  he 
  throws 
  his 
  silken 
  threads, 
  until 
  the 
  

   severed 
  stem 
  is 
  stronger 
  than 
  before. 
  What 
  else 
  is 
  this 
  than 
  reason 
  ! 
  

  

  The 
  shaping 
  and 
  formation 
  of 
  the 
  cocoons 
  will 
  be 
  of 
  interest 
  to 
  watch^ 
  

   until 
  the 
  thickening 
  walls 
  have 
  hidden 
  the 
  larva 
  from 
  your 
  view. 
  During 
  

   the 
  winter, 
  you 
  may 
  sacrifice 
  one 
  or 
  more 
  of 
  the 
  number 
  by 
  making, 
  

   sections 
  of 
  them, 
  that 
  you 
  may 
  observe 
  the 
  structure 
  of 
  the 
  double 
  

   cocoon 
  — 
  one 
  within 
  the 
  other, 
  with 
  the 
  intermediate 
  loosely-threaded 
  

   non-conducting 
  air-chamber, 
  and 
  the 
  contained 
  pupa, 
  with 
  its 
  wing, 
  leg^ 
  

   and 
  antennse-cases 
  folded 
  upon 
  its 
  breast, 
  and 
  the 
  cast-off 
  caterpillar 
  

   skin 
  compacted 
  in 
  a 
  pellet 
  behind 
  it. 
  

  

  Your 
  study 
  of 
  this 
  Ufe-history 
  will 
  not 
  be 
  fully 
  carried 
  out 
  to 
  its 
  proper 
  

   completion 
  until, 
  in 
  the 
  following 
  spring, 
  you 
  can 
  see 
  the 
  moth 
  emerge 
  

   from 
  its 
  cocoon. 
  A 
  strange 
  looking 
  object 
  will 
  it 
  seem 
  in 
  your 
  eyes, 
  as 
  

   with 
  a 
  brisk 
  movement 
  of 
  its 
  legs, 
  it 
  clambers 
  upward 
  to 
  some 
  position 
  

   where 
  its 
  unexpanded 
  wings 
  may 
  hang 
  downward, 
  limp 
  and 
  wet, 
  over 
  its 
  

  

  