CATERPILLARS. 3 
Mother, Yes, they were damp; an 
exceedingly small quantity of moisture 
surrounds the fly in its case, which pre- 
serves the joints in a state of flexibility, 
that is, suppleness, and enables the wings 
to unfold to their full size; when they 
have done so, the moisture is no longer 
useful, and the air quickly dries it up. 
Lucy, But, mamma, if this is the first 
time of its being a moth, how did it get 
into that case? how was it put there? 
My sister told me once, that caterpillars 
turned into moths and butterflies ; do 
they, mamma ? 
Mother, Yes ; every kind of cater- 
pillar changes into some species of winged 
insect. 
Lucy. Then, I suppose, all kinds of 
flies, gnats, and bees, have been cater- 
pillars. What tiny little things the ca- 
terpillars of flies must be. 
Mother. They are very small indeed ; 
so small that many of them are called 
maggots. 
Lucy. Maggots ! 1 always thought 
maggots were nasty and dirty. 
B 2 
