The natural history of insects. First series.

Date:
1833
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The natural history of insects. First series. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    its vertical position, and allows the skin to drop. If the first series of pirouettes prove unsuccessful, the chrysalis tries another in the contrary direction; and if after repeated efforts it fails to get rid of the nuisance, it calmly and patiently submits to an evil which it cannot remove. This vertical position does not however suit all caterpillars; there are some which fix themselves in an inclined or even horizontal position. To effect this, a set of threads is passed round their bodies, and then attached to the wall or a part of some plant from which they remain suspended. These girths or supporting belts are formed in various ways, but always of the same material,—silk spun for that purpose by the caterpillars. The fol- lowing figures will explain some of those processes by winch the suspension is effected. In the first figure {fig- 1), the caterpillar is seen to bend ils body to the point where the end of the thread is to be fixed: in the second {fig. 2), it presents itself in the act of carrying over the body, by doubling it- self on its back: while in the third {fig- 3), it ap- pears to turn round for the purpose of fixing it on the farther side. When a sufficient number of threads have been thus spun to form its web, the insect gently withdraws its head, assumes a straight position, and quietly awaits the hour of its trans- formation. The girth which is passed round the body of the caterpillar in order to suspend it when it shall have assumed the chrysalid form, is fabricated sometimes