THE CHRYSALIS. 
87 
instead of a lid, to see if it would do the same 
as if it had been upon the wall. But no such 
thing. The caterpillar seemed to know that 
muslin was a very different material to brick or 
stone, and that there was no need to spin a web 
upon it. So it hooked its hinder feet into the 
threads of the muslin, and spun its girth without 
any other foundation. 
«/ 
I must say a word or two about the colour of the 
chrysalides, which is often very beautiful. Some 
of them shine as if they were gilded with bur¬ 
nished gold, and people once fancied they really 
were gold. But science soon made it clear that 
this was not the case. The outer skin of the 
chrysalis is of a transparent yellow, and gives a 
golden tinge to the inner membrane, that is of a 
shining white. This golden hue only lasts while 
the inner membrane is moist. It becomes dry 
before the butterfly appears, and then all trace of 
gold vanishes. 
The chrysalis is sometimes called Aurelia, but 
both words mean the same thing,—gold. 
The time the chrysalis has to remain before it 
is a butterfly, depends very much on the warmth 
of the atmosphere. Reaumur, the naturalist, 
found this out, and made some rather amusing 
experiments. What do you think of hatching 
butterflies under a hen? The idea is strange, 
