A SHEEP IN WOLF'S CLOTHING 41 



The Viceroy mother selects usually the terminal twigs 

 of some willow or poplar, and places her eggs singly on 

 the tips of the terminal leaves (Fig. 20). Now this 

 choice of the topmost leaf of the branch is not without 

 reason on the part of the mother. This egg, though 

 scarcely so large as a pinhead has many enemies ; there 

 are spiders always prowling around to find tidbits for 

 their rapacious stomachs ; there are tiny ichneumon- 

 flies ready to lay their eggs within even so small an egg 

 as this ; there are wasps and other voracious insects 

 always on the lookout for things eatable. So there is 

 reason for putting these eggs one in a place on the tip 

 end of a branch, where the wind always keeps the leaves 

 stirring in a way to confuse the vision of these active 

 foes. As a protection against these same inquisitive 

 eyes the egg is of a dark green color, almost the exact 

 hue of the upper surface of the leaf on which it is invari- 

 ably placed. This little green egg is a beautiful object 

 when viewed through a microscope ; it is ornately sculp- 

 tured in an hexagonal pattern and set with short spines. 

 It seems to be one of nature's laws of beauty that noth- 

 ing is too small to be worth while. 



After from four to eight days have elapsed since the 

 egg was laid, a little brownish larva gnaws its way out 

 through the side. As soon as it is fairly out it turns 

 around and eats the egg-shell, carving, spines, and all. 



