88 
LETTERS FROM ALABAMA. 
shaped caterpillar. It was long-oval, convex above 
and flat beneath, something like the common insect 
called a wood-louse, or carpenter {Oniscus) ; the 
head was oddly fastened to the body by a slender 
neck^ which, as well as the head itself, was reddish 
brown, two large spots on the face being bright 
orange ; the whole body was green, transversely 
wrinkled. 
I took half-a-dozen of these to rear ; in a day 
or two they ceased to eat, and began to change 
colour, as many caterpillars do just before going 
into the chrysalis state, turning of a pale pink 
or flesh-colour on the back, and becoming quite 
pellucid, so that the dorsal vessel was distinctly 
seen, with its alternate contractions and expan- 
sions, proceeding in regular waves from the tail to 
the head. Each then spun a , girth composed of 
many threads of silk, placed side by side, and 
fastened at each end to two points within its tent, 
which, being completed, was passed over the head, 
until it embraced the fore part of the body ; and 
thus it quietly awaited its transformation, gradually 
becoming more and more inactive and helpless, 
A day elapsed after the alteration of colour, before 
the spinning of the girdle, and after another day 
the skin was thrown off, and the soft white pupa 
was evolved, which soon, however, acquired consis- 
tency, and its permanent dingy tint, a greenish 
brown. They remained thirteen days in this state, 
and then produced the White-spotted Skipper {Eu- 
damuB Tityrus), which I had observed before on 
the flowers by the roadsides. 
I have bred very many butterflies, and have 
universally found them, on first opening the dark 
box in which they had been evolved^ perfectly 
