THE CATERPILLAR. 
23 
head 
they 
Hinder legs magnified, 
clasping a twig. 
when it wants to suspend itself with its 
downwards, as many caterpillars do, for 
seem to like this strange 
uncomfortable attitude 
it has nothing to do hut 
to clasp the branch with 
its hinder legs, and let 
itself swing. Then its 
strong muscles, about 
which you will hear 
directly, come into play. 
No one of us could re¬ 
main in this position 
longer than a few seconds, but the caterpillar 
will hang for a whole day with its head down¬ 
wards, and be none the worse. It will also clasp 
its hinder feet to the 
branch, and stretch itself 
straight out in an up¬ 
right position, without 
any other support. Then 
it looks like a bit of 
dry stick, all the more, 
because of the little 
knobs on its body, that 
resemble the notches of the twig. A gardener 
once thought one of these caterpillars really was 
a dead twig, and was going to break it off; 
