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92 NATURAL HISTORY. 
ly towards the head. In the fame manner they difengage themfelved 
from the two fucceeding rings ; fo that the animal is then lodged en- 
tirely in the fore part of its caterpillar covering: that half which 18 | 
abandoned, remains flaccid and empty; while the jore part, on thé 
contrary, is fwollen and diftended. ‘he animal, having thus quitte 
the hinder part of its fkin, to drive itfelf up into the fore part, fill, 
continues to heave and work as before; fo that the {kull is foon feet 
to burit into three pieces, and a longivudinal opening is made in thé 
three firlt rings of the body, through which the infe& thrufts forth its 
naked body with ftrong efforts. ‘Uhus at lait it entirely gets free from 
its caterpillar fkin, and for ever forfakes its moft odious reptile form. 
The caterpillar, thus ftripped of its fkin for the laft time, is now be- 
come an aurelia; in which the parts of the future butterfly are all vi- 
fible; but in fo foft a ftate, that the fmalleft touch can difcompofé 
them. The animal is now become helplefs and motionlefs ; but only. 
waits for the affiftance of the air to dry up the moiiture on its furfaces 
and fupply it with a‘ cruft capable of refifting external injuries. Tm- 
mediately after being ftripped of its caterpillar fkin, it is of a greet 
- colour, efpecially in thofe parts, which are diftended by an extraordi- 
nary afflux of animal moifture ; but in ten or twelve hours after being 
thus expofed, its parts harden, the air forms its external covering into 
a firm cruft, and in about four and twenty hours, the aurelia may bé 
handled without endangering the little animal that is thus left in fo dee 
fencelefs a fituation. Such is the hiftory of the little pod or cone that 
is found. fo common by every pathway, fticking to nettles, and fome- 
times fhining like polifhed gold. _ From the beautiful and refplendent 
colour, with which it is thus fometimes adorned, fome authors havé 
é ¢alled it a Chryfalis, implying a creature made of gold. 
i Such are the efforts by which thefe little animals prepare for a flaté 
of perfection; but their care is ftill greater to provide themfelves a fe- 
i cure retreat, during this feafon of their imbecility. It would feem like 
i _ erecting themfelves a monument, where they were to reft fecure, unti 
i Nature had called them into a new and more improved exiftence. For 
i this purpofe, fome {pin themfelves a cone or web, in which they lie fecuré 
till they have arrived at maturity: others, that cannot {pin fo copious 
a covering, fufpend themfelves by the tail, in fome retreat where they 
are not likely to meet difturbances. Some mix fand with their gummy 
and moift webs, and thus make themfelves a fecure incruftation ; whilé 
others, before their change, bury themfelves in the ground, and thus 
avoid the numerous dangers that might attend them. One would 
imagine that they were confcious of the precife time of their continu- 
ance in their aurelia ftate; fince their little fepulchres, with refpect to 
the folidity of the building, are proportioned to fuch duration. Thofe_ 
that are to lie in that ftate of exiftence but a few days, make choice of 
fome tender leaf, which they render {till more pliant by diffufing a kind 
ef glue upon it: the leaf thus gradually curls up, and withering as it 
enfolds, the infect wraps itfelf within, as in a mantle, till the genial 
warmth of the fun enables it to ftruggle for new life, and burft from 
its confinement. Others, whofe time of transformation is alfo near a¢ 
hand, faften their tails to a tree, or to the firft worm hole they meets 
in a beam, and wait in that defencelefs fituation. Such caterpillarss 
en the other hand, are feen to lie feveral months in their aurelia Mater 
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