I 
INSECTS. 
1G3 
When the Caterpillar has attained its full size, it crawls 
to the under-part of a branch, and spins a little knob 
of silk, of which 
it takes hold with 
its hindmost false 
legs : it then spins 
a girdle, composed 
of many contiguous 
threads of silk, fast- 
ened at each end ; 
making a bow large 
enough to admit 
the body, and in- 
tended to support 
the Chrysalis; this, 
when finished, the 
Caterpillar puts over 
its head. It conti- 
nues in this state 
about two days and 
a half, during which 
time it has gradu- Transformations of Butterfly. 
ally lost its power of holding on by the feet, and rests with 
its whole weight upon the knob and cincture of silk. It 
now casts off its Caterpillar skin, and enters the Chrysalis 
state. By good fortune wo were happy enough to see this 
change take place in one of our captives. The Caterpillar 
appearing very uneasy and restless, we watched it at inter- 
vals for about half an hour ; when, by strong and appa- 
rently painful inflations, a slit was made in the back of the 
third ring or segment, and the Chrysalis forced itself 
