162 



LIFE, IN ITS INTERMEDIATE FORMS. 



skin and throws it off; a new one, soft and expansile, 

 having been prepared beneath it. This presently hardens, 

 and when by the rapid growth of the Caterpillar this is 

 stretched to its utmost eapacity, it also is split and cast 

 off • and a similar process is repeated four or five times in 

 succession. 



By this time the insect has attained its full size ; it has 

 not yet, indeed, finished life, but it will need to eat nc 

 more ; all its nourishment is taken in the Caterpillar state, 

 which it now prepares to quit for that of the Chrysalis. 

 No one would have recognised the worm-like Caterpillai 

 as the offspring of the aerial Butterfly ; perhaps one mighl 

 say, without a figure, " He is so changed that his owr. 

 mother would not have known him," but the character ir 

 which the masquerader next appears is as little like either. 

 Look at the stiff Chrysalis, all points and angles, im- 

 moveable except for a slight wriggle in his armour, tied 

 up to the stalk of a plant, like a knave to a whipping-post, 

 and say what he is like ! Certes, you will not guess (sup- 

 posing you are not of the illuminati) either Caterpillar oi 

 Butterfly. 



The process of transformation is well worthy of being 

 witnessed, and we will describe it as we once had the 

 pleasure of observing it, in the case of one of those beau- 

 tiful large species known as Swallow-tails. It was ar 

 American Butterfly, but so very closely allied to our fine 

 native species the Papilio Machaon, and the scarce P. 

 Podalirius, that should you ever be so fortunate as tc 

 witness the transformations of either of these magnifi 

 cent insects, you will see that the one process is the exac^ 

 counterpart of the other. 



