56 METAMOBPHOSES OF MAN 



the trunk. The head is small, of a blue colour picked 

 with black, covered with a hard skin, and provided 

 with six simple eyes, which are quite separate from 

 each other. The mouth, as in other caterpillars, is 

 formed for dividing and chewing the tough leaves of 

 cabbage and other cruciferous plants. It is provided 

 laterally with a pair of solid horny mandibles, and a 

 pair of less powerful jaws, which are partly concealed by 

 an upper lip and a wide lower one. In the middle of the 

 latter may be seen a small tubular elongated organ, 

 pierced by a microscopic aperture ; this is the spin- 

 ning apparatus, by which is made the soft wool-like 

 material which the animal will soon require. 



The body of the caterpillar is of cylindrical form, 

 and is composed of twelve almost similar rings. It 

 is of a greenish or yellowish grey colour, marked by 

 three yellow bands which pass from end to end, and is 

 covered with black spots. These spots are little tuber- 

 cles, each of which carries a white hair, easily seen 

 with a pocket lens. There are eight pairs of feet for 

 the purpose of locomotion, and, as in all caterpillars, 

 these are of two kinds. The three first of each side 

 are conical, jointed, and terminated by hooklets or 

 little claws : these are the horny or true feet. The 

 others are termed membranous or false feet. The 

 latter are like large tubercles, whose ends are trun- 

 cated and furnished with a circle of hooklets. The 

 most remarkable feature in connection with these is, 

 that the caterpillar can move them in every direction, 

 can push them out, or draw them into the body so 

 completely that there is hardly a trace left of the posi- 

 tions they occupied. To conclude this description of 

 our caterpillar, we may mention that there is on each 



