156 METAMORPHOSES OF MAN 



What would our readers think were we to express 

 ourselves thus : — A butterfly deposits an egg, from 

 which springs an earthworm that is soon converted 

 into a caterpillar; from this caterpillar a series of 

 buds are produced which become so many individuals 

 like the first one ; then each of these, although pre- 

 serving the caterpillar head, assumes the body of the 

 chrysalis ; this body is constricted at intervals, and 

 gradually becomes converted into a cluster of 

 butterflies, piled up one upon the other; the cater- 

 pillar head then falls off, and the butterflies fly away 

 one by one. At first they resemble moths ; but by 

 degrees they assume their true characters, and become 

 beautiful diurnal Lepidoptera. Who would put any 

 trust in a history which described a series of trans- 

 formations as fantastic as those seen in a dream? 

 Yet change a few of the expressions, employ the 

 terms Acalephae and Medusae for those of insects and 

 butterflies, and that which but a moment before had 

 been mere fiction becomes simple truth. 



