FIELD AND STUDY 



a worm into a creature of a much higher and more 

 attractive order; the worm mask; was being stripped 

 off, and an embryo butterfly revealed to view. In a 

 few minutes the head and forward part of the body 

 were free, and the latter half was fast becoming so. 



The fine silken cord over the back served its pur- 

 pose well, holding the creature in place while it lit- 

 erally wriggled out of its skin, and when this feat 

 was accomplished, holding it in position for its long 

 winter sleep. The skin behaved as if it were an in- 

 terested party in the enterprise; much better, I am 

 sure, than one's garments would if one were to try 

 to wriggle out of them without using one's limbs. 

 It folded back, it drew together, it finally became a 

 little pellet or pack of cast-off linen that clung to 

 the tail end of the chrysalis. To effect the final 

 detachment, and not lose the grip which this end 

 seemed to have on the board beneath it, required a 

 good deal of struggling, probably a full minute of 

 convulsive effort before the little bundle of cast-off 

 habiliments let go and dropped* a dark pellet the 

 size of a small pea. Then our insect was at rest, and 

 seemed slowly to contract and stiffen. It had woven 

 itself the silken loop to hold it to its support, and 

 it had struggled out of its old skin on its own initia- 

 tive or without being mothered or helped, as so 

 many newborn creatures are. 



I did not have the pleasure of seeing it spin the 

 cord over the back which plays an important part 

 46 



