THE CATERPILLAR. 
27 
is named after the hare, because of its great 
speed. And a third is really wonderful for the 
quickness of its movements. If you touch it, it 
darts backwards and forwards with such rapidity, 
that it actually seems to fly. 
But there are caterpillars in our own country, 
that do not fly from branch to branch, but jump, 
which is almost as extraordinary. One of these 
jumping caterpillars,* when it wants to descend 
from one branch to another, crawls to the edge 
of the leaf and peeps over. Then it goes a little 
back, and bending its body like a cat, leaps 
through the air. No matter what the distance, 
it always alights upon its feet. 
But I must next explain to you how the 
caterpillar breathes. It does not draw in the air 
through its mouth as you do; but down each 
side of its body are little holes, called spiracles, 
and it breathes through them, as through so 
many mouths. The holes are very much exposed; 
but to protect them from dust, and everything 
else that might choke them, they are fringed 
round with minute hairs, that interlace each other, 
and allow nothing but the air to enter. Two 
tubes, that answer the purpose of wind-pipes, lie 
on each side within the body, and the spiracles 
run into them. A great many smaller tubes 
* Noctua anadra. 
