THE CHRYSALIS. 
85 
the skin is hanging, and whirls itself round and 
round, until it has broken them, and the skin 
drops. If it cannot do this the first time, it tries 
again and again, often as many as four or five 
times, and is almost sure to succeed at last. 
There are some chrysalides of butterflies that, 
instead of hanging by the tail, suspend them¬ 
selves by a thread round the middle of the body. 
The caterpillar begins by making the silken 
button as the other did, and hooking its hinder 
feet into it. It then spins the girth, carrying the 
thread over its body, and fastening it on each 
side, to the branch. It carries the silk back¬ 
wards and forwards fifty or sixty times, although 
the girth is so fine that it looks like a single 
thread. Some caterpillars, however, spin the 
girth like a loop, and then creep into it. The 
life of the chrysalis depends on the loop being 
strong enough, for if it were to break, the 
consequence would be fatal. The chrysalis would 
fall to the ground, and inevitably perish. 
An experiment was once tried upon a number 
of caterpillars that were about to go into their 
chrysalis state. 
They were put into a box, where some of them 
were allowed to finish their silk buttons in peace, 
and swing themselves in the natural manner. 
Others, however, were taken off when they had 
