24 Beautiful Butterflies. 



at times even a fatal one, wriggles itself out, and leaves 

 the old garment for whoever may take a fancy to it ; 

 but there is no occasion to go and get measured for 

 another, as there would be with you or I, for a new one 

 quickly forms around the body, fitting as nicely as 

 need be. Sometimes the colours of this new coat are 

 different from those of the old one, and the markings 

 have a fresh arrangement, as if the fashions of the 

 season had been studied in its preparation ; but no, it 

 was made in accordance with certain laws ordained 

 from the beginning, in which there is no variableness 

 nor shadow of turning. The fashion of a man's coat, 

 or a boy's jacket, changes constantly ; but the fashion 

 of a Caterpillar's skin never : under certain circum- 

 stances it is always the same ; its variations are regular, 

 so that one who has observed these matters can tell 

 what kind of covering a particular species at a parti- 

 cular age will have. The Naturalist will know at once 

 the nature, and the character, and the age of a certain 

 smooth or hairy worm which crosses his path, or feeds 

 upon the leaf near at hand, by the shape and markings 

 of its outer garment ; suppose we could tell as much of 

 men and boys by the cut and colour of their coats and 

 jackets ! Would not this be convenient ? 



Much might be said about the internal structure of 

 the Caterpillar, but we cannot say it now ; the same 

 wisdom of design and nicety of adaptation is ex- 



