THEEGGSANDTHEHATCHING
THIScaterpillarhasalreadyhadhisstorytoldbyRé；aumur，[note1]butitwasastorymarkedbygaps。Thesewereinevitableintheconditionsunderwhichthegreatmanworked，forhehadtoreceiveallhismaterialsbybargefromthedistantBordeauxLandes。Thetransplantedinsectcouldnotbeexpectedtofurnishitsbiographerwithotherthanfragmentaryevidence，veryweakinthosebiologicaldetailswhichformtheprincipalcharmofentomology。Tostudythehabitsofinsectsonemustobservethemlongandcloselyontheirnativeheath，sotospeak，intheplacewheretheirinstinctshavefullandnaturalplay。
WithcaterpillarsforeigntotheParisclimateandbroughtfromtheotherendofFrance，Ré；aumurthereforerantheriskofmissingmanymostinterestingfacts。Thisiswhatactualyhappened，justasitdidon，alateroccasioninthecaseofanotheralien，theCicada。[note2]Nevertheless，theinformationwhichhewasabletoextractfromafewnestssenttohimfromtheLandesisofthehighestvalue。
Betterservedthanhebycircumstances，IwilltakeupafreshthestoryoftheProcessionaryCaterpillarofthePine。Ifthesubjectdoesnotcomeuptomyhopes，itwillcertainlynotbeforlackofmaterials。Inmyharmas[note3]laboratory，nowstockedwithafewtreesinadditiontoitsbushes，standsomevigorousfir-trees，theAleppopineandtheblackAustrianpine，asubstituteforthatoftheLandes。Everyyearthecaterpillartakespossessionofthemandspinshisgreatpursesintheirbranches。Intheinterestoftheleaves，whicharehorriblyravaged，asthoughtherehadbeenafire，Iamobligedeachwintertomakeastrictsurveyandtoextirpatethenestswithalongforkedbatten。
Youvoraciouslittlecreatures，ifIletyouhaveyourway，Ishouldsoonberobbedofthemurmurofmyoncesoleafypines！TodayIwillseekcompensationforallthetroubleIhavetaken。Letusmakeacompact。Youhaveastorytotell。Tellitme；andforayear，fortwoyearsorlonger，untilIknowmoreorlessallaboutit，Ishallleaveyouundisturbed，evenatthecostoflamentablesufferingtothepines。
Havingconcludedthetreatyandleftthecaterpillarsinpeace，Isoonhaveabundantmaterialformyobservations。InreturnformyindulgenceIgetsomethirtynestswithinafewstepsofmydoor。Ifthecollectionwerenotlargeenough，thepine-treesintheneighbourhoodwouldsupplymewithanynecessaryadditions。ButIhaveapreferenceandadecidedpreferenceforthepopulationofmyownenclosure，whosenocturnalhabitsaremucheasiertoobservebylantern-light。Withsuchtreasuresdailybeforemyeyes，atanytimethatIwishandundernaturalconditions，I
cannotfailtoseetheProcessionary’sStoryunfoldedatfulllength。Letustry。
Andfirstofalltheegg，whichRé；aumurdidnotsee。InthefirstfortnightofAugust，letusinspectthelowerbranchesofthepines，onalevelwithoureyes。Ifwepaytheleastattention，wesoondiscover，hereandthere，onthefoliage，certainlittlewhitishcylindersspottingthedarkgreen。ThesearetheBombyx’eggs:eachcylinderistheclusterlaidbyonemother。
Thepine-needlesaregroupedintwos。Eachpairiswrappedatitsbaseinacylindricalmuffwhichmeasuresaboutaninchlongbyafifthorsixthofaninchwide。Thismuff，whichhasasilkyappearanceandiswhiteslightlytintedwithrusset，iscoveredwithscalesthatoverlapafterthemannerofthetilesonaroof；andyettheirarrangement，thoughfairlyregular，isbynomeansgeometrical。Thegeneralaspectismoreorlessthatofanimmaturewalnut-catkin。
Thescalesarealmostovalinform，semitransparentandwhite，withatouchofbrownatthebaseandofrussetatthetip。Theyarefreeatthelowerend，whichtapersslightly，butfirmlyfixedattheupperend，whichiswiderandblunter。Youcannotdetachthemeitherbyblowingonthemorbyrubbingthemrepeatedlywithahair-pencil。
Theystandup，likeafleecestrokedthewrongway，ifthesheathisrubbedgentlyupwards，ndretainthisbristlingpositionindefinitely；theyresumetheiroriginalarrangementwhenthefrictionisintheoppositedirection。
Atthesametime，theyareassoftasvelvettothetouch。CarefullylaidoneupontheothertheyformaroofthatprotectstheeggsItisimpossibleforadropofrainordewtopenetrateunderthisshelterofsofttiles。
Theoriginofthisdefensivecoveringisselfevident:themotherhasstrippedapartofherbodytoprotecthereggs。LiketheEiderduck，shehasmadeawarmovercoatforthemoutofherowndown。Ré；aumurhadalreadysuspectedasmuchfromaverycuriouspeculiarityoftheMoth。
Letmequotethepassage:"Thefemales，"hesays，"haveashinypatchontheupperpartoftheirbody，nearthehind-quarters。TheshapeandglossofthisdiskattractedmyattentionthefirsttimethatIsawit。Iwasholdingapin，withwhichItouchedit，toexamineitsstructure。Thecontactofthepinproducedalittlespectaclethatsurprisedme:Isawacloudoftinyspanglesatoncedetachthemselves。Thesespanglesscatteredineverydirection:someseemedtobeshotintotheair，otherstothesides；
butthegreaterpartofthecloudfellsoftlytotheground。
"EachofthosebodieswhichIamcallingspanglesisanextremelyslenderlamina，bearingsomeresemblancetotheatomsofdustontheMoths’wings，butofcoursemuchbigger……Thediskthatissonoticeableonthehind-quartersoftheseMothsisthereforeaheap——andanenormousheap——ofthesescales……Thefemalesseemtousethemtowraptheireggsin；buttheMothsofthePineCaterpillarrefusedtolaywhileinmychargeandconsequentlydidnotenlightenmeastowhethertheyusethescalestocovertheireggsorastowhattheyaredoingwithallthosescalesgatheredroundtheirhinderpart，whichwerenotgiventhemandplacedinthatpositiontoservenopurpose。"Youwereright，mylearnedmaster:thatdenseandregularcropofspanglesdidnotgrowontheMoth’stailfornothing。Isthereanythingthathasnoobject？Youdidn’tthinkso；Idonotthinksoeither。
Everythinghasitsreasonforexisting。Yes，youwerewell-inspiredwhenyouforesawthatthecloudofscaleswhichflewoutunderthepointyourpinmustservetoprotecttheeggs。
Iremovethescalyfleecewithmypincersand，asIexpected，theeggsappear，lookinglikelittlewhite-enamelbeads。Clusteringcloselytogether，theymakeninelongitudinalrowsInoneoftheserowsIcountthirty-fiveeggs。Astheninerowsareverynearlyalikethecontentsofthecylinderamountinalltoaboutthreehundredeggs，arespectablefamilyforonemother！
Theeggsofoneroworfilealternateexactlywiththoseinthetwoadjoiningfiles，soastoleavenoemptyspaces。Theysuggestapieceofbead-workproducedwithexquisitedexteritybypatientfingers。ItwouldbemorecorrectstilltocomparethemwithacobofIndiancorn，withitsneatrowsofseedsbutagreatlyreducedcob，thetininessofwhosedimensionsmakesitsmathematicalprecisionallthemoreremarkable。ThegrainsoftheMoth’sspikehaveaslighttendencytobehexagonal，becauseoftheirmutualpressure；theyarestuckclosetogether，somuchsothattheycannotbeseparated。Ifforceisused，thelayercomesofftheleafinfragments，insmallcakesalwaysconsistingofseveraleggsapiece。Thebeadslaidarethereforefastenedtogetherbyaglutinousvarnish；anditisonthisvarnishthatthebroadbaseofthedefensivescalesisfixed。
Itwouldbeinteresting，ifafavourableopportunityoccurred，toseehowthemotherachievesthatbeautifullyregulararrangementoftheeggsandalsohow，assoonasshehaslaidone，allstickywithvarnish，shemakesaroofforitwithafewscalesremovedonebyonefromherhind-quarters。
Forthemoment，theverystructureofthefinishedworktellsusthecourseoftheprocedure。Itisevidentthattheeggsarenotlaidinlongitudinalfiles，butincircularrows，inrings，whichlieoneabovetheother，alternatingtheirgrains。Thelayingbeginsatthebottom，nearthelowerendofthedoublepine-leaf；itfinishesatthetop。Thefirsteggsinorderofdatearethoseofthebottomring；thelastarethoseofthetopring。Thearrangementofthescales，allinalongitudinaldirectionandattachedbytheendfacingthetopoftheleaf，makesanyothermethodofprogressioninadmissible。
Letusconsiderinthelightofreflectiontheelegantedificenowbeforeoureyes。Youngorold，culturedorignorant，weshall，onseeingtheBombyx’
prettylittlespike，exclaim:
"Howhandsome！"
Andwhatwillstrikeusmostwillbenotthebeautifulenamelpearls，butthewayinwichtheyareputtogetherwithsuchgeometricalregularity。
Whencewecandrawagreatmoral，towit，thatanexquisiteordergovernstheworkofacreaturewithoutconsciousness，oneofthehumblestofthehumble。ApaltryMothfollowstheharmoniouslawsoforder。
IfMicromé；gas[note4]tookitintohisheadtoleaveSiriusoncemoreandvisitourplanet，couldhefindanythingtoadmireamongus？Voltaireshowshimtoususingoneofthediamondsofhisnecklaceasamagnifying-glassinordertoobtainsomesortofviewofthethree-masterwhichhasrunagroundonhisthumb-nail。Heentersintoconversationwiththecrew。Anail-paring，curvedlikeahorn，encompassestheshipandservesasaspeaking-trumpet；atooth-pick，whichtouchesthevesselwithitstaperingendandthelipsofthegiant，somethousandfathomsabove，withtheother，servesasatelephone。Theoutcomeofthefamousdialogueisthat，ifwewouldformasoundjudgmentofthingsandseethemunderfreshaspects，thereisnothinglikechangingone’splanet。
TheprobabilitythenisthattheSirianwouldhavehadaratherpoornotionofourartisticbeauties。Tohimourmasterpiecesofstatuary，eventhoughsprungfromthechiselofaPhidias，wouldbemeredollsofmarbleorbronze，hardlymoreworthyofinterestthanthechildren’srubberdollsaretous；ourlandscape-paintingswouldberegardedasdishesofspinachsmellingunpleasantlyofoil；ouropera-scoreswouldbedescribedasveryexpensivenoises。
Thesethings，belongingtothedomainofthesenses，possessarelativeæ；stheticvalue，subordinatedtotheorganismthatjudgesthem。CertainlytheVenusofMelosandtheApolloBelvederearesuperbworks；butevensoittakesaspecialeyetoappreciatethem。Micromé；gas，ifhesawthem，wouldbefullpityfortheleannessofhumanforms。Tohimthebeautifulcallsforsomethingotherthanoursorry，frog-likeanatomy。
Showhim，ontheotherhand，thatsortofabortivewindmillbymeansofwhichPythagoras，echoingthewisemenofEgypt，teachesusthefundamentalpropertiesoftheright-angledtriangle。Shouldthegoodgiant，contrarytoourexpectation，happennottoknowaboutit，explaintohimwhatthewindmillmeans。Oncethelighthasenteredhismind，hewillfind，justaswedo，thatthereisbeautythere，realbeauty，notcertainlyinthathorriblehieroglyphic，thefigure，butintheunchangeablerelationbetweenthelengthsofthethreesides；hewilladmireasmuchaswedogeometrytheeternalbalancerofspace。
Thereis，therefore，aseverebeauty，belongingtothedomainofreason，thesameineveryworld，thesameundereverysun，whetherthesunsbesingleormany，whiteorred，blueoryellow。Thisuniversalbeautyisorder。Everythingisdonebyweightandmeasure，agreatstatementwhosetruthbreaksuponusallthemorevividlyasweprobemoredeeplyintothemysteryofthings。Isthisorder，uponwhichtheequilibriumoftheuniverseisbased，thepredestinedresultofablindmechanism？DoesitenterintotheplansofanEternalGeometer，asPlatohadit？Isittheidealofasupremeloverofbeauty，whichwouldexplaineverything？
Whyallthisregularityinthecurveofthepetalsofaflower，whyallthiseleganceinthechasingsonaBeetle’swing-cases？Isthatinfinitegrace，eveninthetiniestdetails，compatiblewiththebrutalityofuncontrolledforces？Onemightaswellattributetheartist’sexquisitemedalliontothesteam-hammerwhichmakestheslagsweatinthemelting。
Theseareveryloftythoughtsconcerningamiserablecylinderwhichwillbearacropofcaterpillars。Itcannotbehelped。Themomentonetriestodigouttheleastdetailofthings，upstartsawhywhichscientificinvestigationisunabletoanswer。Theriddleoftheworldhascertainlyitsexplanationother-wherethaninthelittletruthsofourlaboratories。
ButletusleaveMicromé；gastophilosophizeandreturntothecommonplacesofobservation。
ThePineBombyxhasrivalsintheartofgracefullygroupingheregg-beads。AmongtheirnumberistheNeustrianBombyx，whosecaterpillarisknownbythenameof"Livery，"becauseofhiscostume。Hereggsareassembledinbraceletsaroundlittlebranchesvaryinggreatlyinnature，apple-andpear-brancheschiefly。Anyoneseeingthiselegantworkforthefirsttimewouldbereadytoattributeittothefingersofaskilledstringerofbeads。MysmallsonPaulopenseyeswidewithsurpriseanduttersanastonished"Oh！"eachtimethathecomesuponthedearlittlebracelet。Thebeautyoforderforcesitselfuponhisdawningattention。
Thoughnotsolongandmarkedaboveallbytheabsenceofanywrapper，theringofNeustrianBombyxremindsoneoftheother’scylinder，strippedofitsscalycovering。Itwouldbeeasytomultiplytheseinstancesofelegantgrouping，contrivednowinoneway，nowinanother，butalwayswithconsummateart。Itwouldtakeuptoomuchtime，however。LetuskeeptothePineBombyx。
ThehatchingtakesplaceinSeptember，alittleearlierinonecase，alittlelaterinanother。SothatImayeasilywatchthenew-borncaterpillarsintheirfirstlabours，Ihaveplacedafewegg-ladenbranchesinthewindowofmystudy。Theyarestandinginaglassofwaterwhichwillkeepthemproperlyfreshforsometime。
Thelittlecaterpillarsleavetheegginthemorning，atabouteighto’clock。IfIjustliftthescalesofthecylinderinprocessofhatching，Iseeblackheadsappear，whichnibbleandburstandpushbackthetornceilings。Thetinycreaturesemergeslowly，somehereandsomethere，alloverthesurface。
Afterthehatching，thescalycylinderisasregularandasfreshinappearanceasifitwerestillinhabited。Wedonotperceivethatitisdeserteduntilweraisethespangles。Theeggs，stillarrangedinregularrows，arenowsomanyyawninggobletsofaslightlytranslucentwhite；
theylackthecap-shapedlid，whichhasbeenrentanddestroyedbythenew-borngrubs。
Thepunycreaturesmeasureamillimetre[note5]atmostinlength。Devoidasyetofthebrightredthatwillsoonbetheiradornment，theyarepale-yellow，bristlingwithhairs，someshortishandblack，othersratherlongerandwhite。Thehead，ofaglossyblack，isbiginproportion。Itsdiameteristwicethatofthebody。Thisexaggeratedsizeoftheheadimpliesacorrespondingstrengthofjaw，capableofattackingtoughfoodfromthestart。Ahugehead，stoutlycladinhorn，isthepredominantfeatureofthebuddingcaterpillar。
Thesemacrocephalousonesare，aswesee，well-armedagainstthehardnessofthepine-needles，sowell-armedinfactthatthemealbeginsalmostimmediately。Afterroamingforafewmomentsatrandomamongthescalesofthecommoncradle，mostoftheyoungcaterpillarsmakeforthedoubleleafthatservedasanaxisforthenativecylinderandspreadthemselvesoveritatlength。Othersgototheadjacentleaves。Hereaswellastheretheyfallto；andthegnawedleafishollowedintofaintandverynarrowgrooves，boundedbytheveins，whichareleftintact。
Fromtimetotime，threeorfourwhohaveeatentheirfillfallintolineandwalkinstep，butsoonseparate，eachgoinghisownway。Thisispracticeforthecomingprocessions。IfIdisturbthemeversolittle，theyswaythefronthalfoftheirbodiesandwagtheirheadswithajerkymovementsimilartotheactionofanintermittentspring。
Butthesunreachesthecornerofthewindowwherethecarefulrearingisinprogress。Then，sufficientlyrefreshed，thelittlefamilyretreatstoitsnativesoil，thebaseofthedoubleleaf，gathersintoanirregulargroupandbeginstospin。Itsworkisagauzeglobuleofextremedelicacy，supportedonsomeoftheneighbouringleaves。Underthistent，averywide-meshednet，asiestaistakenduringthehottestandbrightestpartoftheday。
Intheafternoon，whenthesunhasgonefromthewindow，theflockleavesitsshelter，dispersesaround，sometimesformingalittleprocessionwithinaradiusofaninch，andstartsbrowsingagain。
Thustheverymomentofhatchingproclaimstalentswhichagewilldevelopwithoutaddingtotheirnumber。Inlessthananhourfromtheburstingoftheegg，thecaterpillarisbothaprocessionaryandaspinner。Healsofleesthelightwhentakingrefreshment。Weshallsoonfindhimvisitinghisgrazing-groundsonlyatnight。
Thespinnerisveryfeeble，butsoactivethatintwenty-fourhoursthesilkenglobeattainsthebulkofahazel-nutandinacoupleofweeksthatofanapple。Nevertheless，itisnotthenucleusofthegreatestablishmentinwhichthewinteristobespent。Itisaprovisionalshelter，verylightandinexpensiveinmaterials。Themildnessoftheseasonmakesanythingelseunnecessary。Theyoungcaterpillarsfreelygnawthelogs，thepolesbetweenwhichthethreadsarestretched，thatistosay，theleavescontainedwithinthesilkentent。Theirhousesuppliesthematthesametimewithboardandlodging。Thisexcellentarrangementsavesthemfromhavingtogoout，adangerousproceedingattheirage。
Forthesepunyones，thehammockisalsothelarder。
Nibbleddowntotheirveins，thesupportingleaveswitherandeasilycomeunfastenedfromthebranches；andthesilkenglobebecomesahovelthatcrumbleswiththefirstgustofwind。Thefamilythenmovesonandgoeselsewheretoerectanewtent，lastingnolongerthanthefirst。EvensodoestheArabmoveon，asthepasturesaroundhiscamel-hidedwellingbecomeexhausted。Thesetemporaryestablishmentsarerenewedseveraltimesover，alwaysatgreaterheightsthanthelast，somuchsothatthetribe，whichwashatchedonthelowerbranchestrailingontheground，graduallyreachesthehigherboughsandsometimestheverysummitofthepine-tree。
Inafewweeks’time，afirstmoultreplacesthehumblefleeceofthestart，whichispale-coloured，shaggyandugly，byanotherwhichlacksneitherrichnessnorelegance。Onthedorsalsurface，thevarioussegments1
exceptingthefirstthree，areadornedwithamosaicofsixlittlebarepatches，ofabrightred，whichstandoutalittleabovethedarkbackgroundoftheskin。Two，thelargest，areinfront，twobehindandone，almostdot-shaped，oneithersideofthequadrilateral。Thewholeissurroundedbyapalisadeofscarlet。bristles，divergentandlyingalmostflat；Theotherhairs，thoseofthebellyandsides，arelongerandwhitish。
Inthecentreofthiscrimsonmarquetrystandtwoclustersofveryshortbristles，gatheredintoflattenedtuftswhichgleaminthesunlikespecksofgold。Thelengthofthecaterpillarisnowabouttwocentimetres[note6]andhiswidththreeorfourmillimetres。[note7]Suchisthecostumeofmiddleage，which，liketheearlierone，wasunknowntoRé；aumur。
______
[note1]:René；AntoineFerchaultdeRé；aumur1683-1757，inventoroftheRé；aumurthermometerandauthorofMemoirespourservirà；l’histoirenaturelledesinsectes——Translator’sNote。
[note2]:FortheCicadaorCigale，aninsectremotelyakintotheGrasshopperandfoundmoreparticularlyinthesouthofFrance，cf。SocialLifeintheInsectWorld，byJ。H。Fabre，translatedbyBernardMiall:chaps。itoiv——Translator’sNote。
[note3]:Theharmaswastheenclosedpieceofwastegroundinwhichtheauthorusedtostudyhisinsectsintheirnaturalstate——Translator’sNote。
[note4]:TheeponymousheroofVoltaire’sstoryof"thelittlegreatman，"publishedin1752inimitationofGulliver’sTravels——Translator’sNote。
[note5]:。039inch——Translator’sNote。
[note6]:Aboutthree-quartersofaninch——Translator’sNote。
[note7]:。117to。156inch——Translator’sNote。2，TheLifeoftheCaterpillar，byJ。HenriFabre，1916TheLifeoftheCaterpillar，byJ。HenriFabre，1916II:THEPINEPROCESSIONARY:
THENEST；THECOMMUNITY
NOVEMBERarrives，however，bringingcoldweather；thetimehascometobuildthestoutwintertabernacle。Highupinthepinethetipofaboughischosen，withsuitablyclose-packedandconvergentleavesThespinnerssurrounditwithaspreadingnetwork，whichbendstheadjacentleavesalittlenearerandendsbyincorporatingthemintothefabric。Inthiswaytheyobtainanenclosurehalfsilk，halfleaves，capableofwithstandingtheinclemenciesoftheweather。
EarlyinDecembertheworkhasincreasedtothesizeofaman’stwofistsormore。Initsultimateperfection，itattainsavolumeofnearlyhalfagallonbytheendofWinter。
Itisroughlyegg-shaped，taperingtoacertainlengthbelowandextendedintoasheathwhichenvelopsthesupportingbranch。Theoriginofthissilkyextensionisasfollows:everyeveningbetweensevenandnineo’clock，weatherpermitting，thecaterpillarsleavethenestandgodownthebarepartoftheboughwhichformsthepoleofthetent。Theroadisbroad，forthisaxisissometimesaswideastheneckofaclaret-bottle。Thedescentisaccomplishedwithoutanyattemptatorderandalwaysslowly，somuchsothatthefirstcaterpillarstocomeouthavenotyetdispersedbeforetheyarecaughtupbytheothers。Thebranchisthuscoveredbyacontinuousbarkofcaterpillars，madeupofthewholecommunity，whichgraduallydividesintosquadsanddispersestothissideandthatonthenearestbranchestocroptheirleaves。Nownotoneofthecaterpillarsmovesastepwithoutworkinghisspinneret。Thereforethebroaddownwardpath，whichonthewaybackwillbetheascendingpath，iscovered，astheresultofconstanttraffic，withamultitudeofthreadsforminganunbrokensheath。
Itisobviousthatthissheath，inwhicheachcaterpillar，passingbackwardsandforwardsonhisnocturnalrambles，leavesadoublethread，isnotanindicatorlaiddownwiththesoleobjectofsimplifyingthejourneybacktothenest:amereribbonwouldbeenoughforthat。Itsusemightwellbetostrengthentheedifice，togiveitdeeperfoundationsandtojoinitbyamultitudeofcablestothesteadybranch。
Thewholethingthusconsists，above，ofthehomedistendedintoanovoidand，below，ofthestalk，thesheathsurroundingthesupportandaddingitsresistancetothatofthenumerousotherfastenings。
Eachnestthathasnotyethaditsshapealteredbytheprolongedresidenceofthecaterpillarsshowsinthecentreabulky，milk-whiteshell，witharounditawrapperofdiaphanousgauze。Thecentralmass，formedofthickly~woventhreads，hasforawallathickquiltintowhichareabsorbed，assupports，numbersofleaves，greenandintact。Thethicknessofthiswallmaybeanythinguptothree-quartersofaninch。
Atthetopofthedomeareroundopenings，Varyinggreatlyinnumberanddistribution，aswideacrossasanordinarylead-pencil。Thesearethedoorsofthehouse，throughwhichthecaterpillarsgoinandout。Allaroundtheshellareprojectingleaves，whichtheinsects’teethhaverespected。
Fromthetipofeachleafthereradiate，ingraceful，undulatingcurves，threadswhich，looselyinterlaced，formalighttent，aspaciousverandahofcarefulworkmanship，especiallyintheupperpart。
Herewefindabroadterraceonwhich，inthedaytime，thecaterpillarscomeanddozeinthesun，heapedoneupontheother，withroundedbacks。
Thenetworkstretchingoverheaddoesdutyasanawning:itmoderatestheheatofthesun’srays；italsosavesthesleepersfromafallwhentheboughrocksinthewind。
Letustakeourscissorsandripopenthenestfromendtoendlongitudinally。
Awidewindowopensandallowsustoseethearrangementoftheinside。
Thefirstthingtostrikeusisthattheleavescontainedintheenclosureareintactandquitesound。Theyoungcaterpillarsintheirtemporaryestablishmentsgnawtheleaveswithinthesilkenwrappertodeath；theythushavetheirlarderstockedforafewdayswithouthavingtoquittheirshelterinbadweather，aconditionmadenecessarybytheirweakness。Whentheygrowstrongerandstartworkingontheirwinterhome，theyareverycarefulnottotouchtheleaves。Whythesenewscruples？
Thereasonisevident。Ifbruised，thoseleaves，theframeworkofthehouse，wouldverysoonwitherandthenbeblownoffwiththefirstbreathofwind。Thesilkenpurse，tornfromitsbase，wouldcollapse。Ontheotherhand，iftheleavesarerespected，theyremainvigorousandfurnishastoutsupportagainsttheassaultsofwinter。Asolidfasteningissuperfluousforthesummertent，whichlastsbutaday；itisindispensabletothepermanentshelterwhichwillhavetobeartheburdenofheavysnowsandthebuffetingoficywinds。Fullyalivetotheseperils，thespinnerofthepine-treeconsidershimselfbound，howeverimportunatehishunger，nottosawthroughtheraftersofhishouse。
Insidethenest，therefore，openedbymyscissorsIseeathickarcadeofgreenleaves，moreorlesscloselywrappedinasilkysheathwhencedangleshredsofcastskinandstringsofdrieddroppings。Inshort，thisinteriorisanextremelyunpleasantplace，arag-shopandasewage-farminone，andcorrespondsinnowaywiththeimposingexterior。Allaroundisasolidwallofquiltingandofloosely-wovenleaves。Therearenochambers，nocompartmentsmarkedoffbypartition-walls。Itisasingleroom，turnedintoalabyrinthbythecolonnadeofgreenleavesplacedinrowsoneabovetheotherthroughouttheovalhall。Herethecaterpillarsstaywhenresting，gatheredonthecolumns，heapedinconfusedmasses。
Whenweremovethehopelesstangleatthetop，weseethelightfilteringinatcertainpointsoftheroof。Theseluminouspointscorrespondwiththeopeningsthatcommunicatewiththeouterair。Thenetworkthatformsawrappertothenesthasnospecialexits。Topassthroughitineitherdirection，thecaterpillarshaveonlytopushthesparsethreadsasideslightly。Theinnerwall，acompactrampart，hasitsdoors；theflimsyouterveilhasnone。
Itisinthemorning，ataboutteno’clock，thatthecaterpillarsleavetheirnight-apartmentandcometotakethesunontheirterrace，undertheawningwhichthepointsoftheleavesholdupatadistance。Theyspendthewholedaytheredozing。Motionless，heapedtogether，theysteepthemselvesdeliciouslyinwarmthandfromtimetotimebetraytheirblissbynoddingandwaggingtheirheads。Atsixorseveno’clock，whenitgrowsdark，thesleepersawake，bestirthemselves，separateandgotheirseveralwaysoverthesurfaceofthenest。
Wenowbeholdanindeeddelightfulspectacle。Bright-redstripesmeanderineverydirectionoverthewhitesheetofsilk。Onegoesup，anothercomesdown，athirdmovesaslant；othersformashortprocession。And，astheysolemnlywalkaboutinasplendiddisorder，eachgluestothegroundwhichitcoversthethreadthatconstantlyhangsfromitslip。
Thusisthethicknessoftheshelterincreasedbyafinelayeraddedimmediatelyabovethepreviousstructure；thusisthedwellingstrengthenedbyfreshsupports。Theadjoininggreenleavesaretakenintothenet-workandabsorbedinthebuilding。Ifthetiniestbitofthemremainsfree，curvesradiatefromthatpoint，increasingthesizeoftheveilandfasteningitatagreaterdistance。Everyevening，therefore，foranhourortwo，greatanimationreignsonthesurfaceofthenest，iftheweatherpermits；
andtheworkofconsolidatingandthickeningthestructureiscarriedonwithindefatigablezeal。
Dotheyforeseethefuture，thesewaryoneswhotakesuchprecautionsagainsttherigoursofwinter？Obviouslynot。Theirfewmonths’
experience——ifindeedexperiencecanbementionedinconnectionwithacaterpillar——tellsthemofsavourybellyfulsofgreenstuff，ofgentleslumbersinthesunontheterraceofthenest；butnothinghithertohasmadethemacquaintedwithcold，steadyrain，withfrost，snowandfuriousblastsofwind。Andthesecreatures，knowingnaughtofwinter’swoes，takethesameprecautionsasiftheywerethoroughlyawareofallthattheinclementseasonholdsinstoreforthem。Theyworkawayattheirhousewithanardourthatseemstosay:
"Oh，howniceandwarmweshallbeinourbedshere，nestlingoneagainsttheother，whenthepine-treeswingsaloftitsfrostedcandelabra！Letusworkwithawill！Laboremus！"
Yes，caterpillars，myfriends，letusworkwithawill，greatandsmall，menandgrubsalike，sothatwemayfallasleeppeacefully；youwiththetorporthatmakeswayforyourtransformationintoMoths，wewiththatlastsleepwhichbreaksofflifeonlytorenewit。Laboremus！
Anxioustowatchmycaterpillars’habitsindetail，withouthavingtosallyforthbylanternlight，ofteninbadweather，toseewhathappensinthepine-treesattheendoftheenclosure，Ihaveinstalledhalf-a-dozennestsinagreenhouse，amodest，glazedshelterwhichthoughhardlyanywarmerthantheairoutside，atleastaffordsprotectionfromthewindandrain。Fixedinthesand，ataheightofabouteighteeninches，bythebaseoftheboughthatservesasbothanaxisandaframework，eachnestreceivesforrationsabundleoflittlepine-branches，whicharerenewedassoonastheyareconsumed。ItakemylanterneveryeveningandpaymyboardersavisitThisisthewayinwhichmostofmyfactsareobtained。
Aftertheday’sworkcomestheeveningmealThecaterpillarsdescendfromthenest，addingafewmorethreadstothesilverysheathofthesupport，andreachtheposyoffreshgreenstuffwhichislyingquitenear。Itisamagnificentsighttoseethered-coatedbandlinedupintwosandthreesoneachandinrankssocloselyformedthatthegreensprigsofthebunchbendundertheload。
Thediners，allmotionless，allpokingtheirheadsforward，nibbleinsilence，placidly。Theirbroadblackforeheadsgleamintheraysofthelantern。Ashowerofgranulesdropsonthesandbelow。Thesearetheresiduesofeasy-goingstomachs，onlytooreadytodigesttheirfood。
Byto-morrowmorningthesoilwillhavedisappearedunderagreenishlayerofthisintestinalhail。Yes，indeed，itisasighttosee，onefarmorestimulatingthanthatoftheSilk-worms’mess-room。Youngandold，weareallsomuchinterestedinitthatoureveningsalmostinvariablyendinavisittothegreenhousecaterpillars。
Themealisprolongedfarintothenight。Satisfiedatlast，somesooner，somelater，theygobacktothenest，whereforalittlelonger，feelingtheirsilk-glandsfilled，theycontinuespinningonthesurface。Thesehardworkerswouldscrupletocrossthewhitecarpetwithoutcontributingafewthreads。Itisgettingonforoneoreventwoo’clockinthemorningwhenthelastofthebandgoesindoors。
Mydutyasafoster-fatherisdailytorenewthebunchofsprigs，whichareshorntothelastleaf；ontheotherhand，mydutyasanhistorianistoenquiretowhatextentthedietcanbevaried。ThedistrictsuppliesmewithProcessionariesontheScotchpine，themaritimepineandtheAleppopineindifferently，butneverontheotherConifers。
onewouldthinkthatanyresin-scentedleafoughttosuit。Sosayschemicalanalysis。
Wemustmistrustthechemist’sretortwhenitpokesitsnoseintothekitchen。Itmaysucceedinmakingbutteroutoftallow-candlesandbrandyoutofpotatoes；but，whenittellsusthattheproductsareidentical，weshalldowelltorefusetheseabominations。Science，astonishinglyrichasitisinpoison，willneverprovideuswithanythingfittoeat，because，thoughtherawsubstancefallstoalargeextentwithinitsdomain，thatsamesubstanceescapesitsmethodsthemomentthatitiswantedorganized，dividedandsubdividedindefinitelybytheprocessoflife，asneededbythestomach，whoserequirementsarenotbemetbymeasureddosesofourreagents。Therawmaterialofcellandfibremayperhapsbeartificiallyobtained，someday；cellandfibrethemselves，never。There’stherubwithyourchemicalfeeding。
Thecaterpillarsloudlyproclaimtheinsurmountabledifficultyoftheproblem。Relyingmychemicaldata，Iofferthemthedifferentsubstitutesforthepinegrowinginmyclosure:thespruce，theyew，thethuja，thejuniper，thecypress。What！AmIaskingthem，PineCaterpillars，tobiteintothat？
Theywilltakegoodcarenotto，despitethetemptingresinoussmell！Theywoulddieofhungerratherthantouchit！Oneconiferandoneonlyisexcepted:
thecedar。Mychargesbrowseuponitsleaveswithnoappreciablerepugnance。
Whythecedarandnottheothers？Idonotknow。Thecaterpillar’sstomach，fastidiousasourown，hasitssecrets。
Letuspasstoothertests。IhavejustslitopenlongitudinallyanestwhoseinternalstructureIwanttoexplore。Owingtothenaturalshrinkageofthesplitswan’s-down，thecleftreachestwofingers’breadthinthecentreandtapersatthetopandbottom。Whatwillthespinnersdointhepresenceofsuchadisaster？Theoperationisperformedbyday，whilethecaterpillarsareslumberinginheapsuponthedome。Astheliving-roomisdesertedatthistime，Icancutboldlywiththescissorswithoutriskofdamaginganypartofthepopulation。
Myravagesdonotwakethesleepers:alldaylongnotoneappearsuponthebreach。Thisindifferencelooksasthoughitwereduetothefactthatthedangerisnotyetknown。Thingswillbedifferentto-night，whenthebusyworkbeginsagain。Howeverdulltheymaybe，thecaterpillarswillcertainlynoticehathugewindowwhichfreelyadmitsthedeadlydraughtsofwinter；and，possessinganyamountofpadding，theywillcrowdroundthedangerousgapandstopitupinatrice。Thusdoweargue，forgettingtheanimal’sintellectualdarkness。
Whatreallyhappensisthat，whennightfallstheindifferenceofthecaterpillarsremainsasgreatasever。Thebreachinthetentprovokesnotasignofexcitement。Theymovetoandfroonthesurfaceofthenest；
theywork，theyspinasusual。Thereisnochange，absolutelynone，intheirbehaviour。Whentheroadcoveredchancestobringsomeofthemtothebrinkoftheravine，weseenoalacrityontheirpart，nosignofanxiety，noattempttocloseupthetwoedgesoftheslit。Theysimplystrivetoaccomplishthedifficultcrossingandtocontinuetheirstrollasthoughtheywerewalkingonaperfectweb。Andtheymanageitsomehoworother，byfixingthethreadasfarasthelengthoftheirbodypermits。
Havingoncecrossedthegulf，theypursuetheirwayimperturbably，withoutstoppinganymoreatthebreach。Otherscomeuponthesceneand，usingthethreadsalreadylaidasfoot-bridges，passovertherentandwalkon，leavingtheirownthreadastheygo。Thusthefirstnight’sworkresultsinthelayingoverthecleftofafilmygauze，hardlyperceptible，butjustsufficientforthetrafficofthecolony。Thesamethingisrepeatedonthenightsthatfollow；andthecreviceendsbybeingclosedwithascantysortofSpider’sweb。Andthatisall。
Thereisnoimprovementbytheendofthewinter。Thewindowmadebymyscissorsisstillwideopen，thoughthinlyveiled；itsblackspindleshapeshowsfromthetopofthenesttothebottom。Thereisnodarninthesplittexture，nopieceofswan’s-downletinbetweenthetwoedgestorestoretherooftoitsoriginalstate。Iftheaccidenthadhappenedintheopenairandnotunderglass，thefoolishspinnerswouldprobablyhavediedofcoldintheircrackedhouse。
Twicerenewedwiththesameresults，thistestprovesthatthePineCaterpillarsarenotalivetothedangeroftheirsplitdwelling。
Expertspinnersthoughtheybe，theyseemunconsciousoftheruinoftheirworkasthespoolsinafactoryareofabrokenthread。Theycouldeasilymakegoodthedamagebytoppingupthebreachwiththesilkthatislavishedelsewherewithouturgentneed；theycouldweaveuponitamaterialasthickandsolidastherestofthewalls。Butno，theyplacidlycontinuetheirhabitualtask；theyspinastheyspunyesterdayandastheywillspinto-morrow，strengtheningthepartsthatarealreadystrong，thickeningwhatisalreadythickenough；andnotonethinksofstoppingthedisastrousgap。Toletapieceintothatholewouldmeanweavingthetentalloveragainfromthebeginning；andnoinsect，howeverindustrious，goesbacktowhatithasalreadydone。
Ihaveoftencalledattentiontothisfeatureinanimalpsychology；
notablyIhavedescribedtheineptitudeofthecaterpillaroftheGreatPeacockMoth。[note1]Whentheexperimenterlopsthetopoffthecomplicatedeel-trapwhichformsthepointedendofthecocoon，thiscaterpillarspendsthesilkremainingtohiminworkofsecondaryimportance，insteadofmakinggoodtheseriesofcones，eachfittingintotheother，whicharesoessentialtothehermit’sprotection。Hecontinueshisnormaltaskimperturbably，asthoughnothingoutofthewayhadtakenPlace。Evensodoesthespinnerinthepine-treeactwithhisbursttent。
Yourfoster-parentmustperpetrateyetanotherpieceofmischief；O
myProcessionary；butthistimeitshallbetoyouradvantage！Itdoesnottakemelongtoperceivethatthenestsintendedtolastthroughthewinteroftencontainapopulationmuchgreaterthanthatofthetemporaryshelterswovenbytheveryyoungcaterpillars。Ialsonoticethat，whentheyhaveattainedtheirultimatedimensions，thesenestsdifferveryconsiderablyinsize。Thelargestofthemareequaltofiveorsixofthesmallest。
Whatisthecauseofthesevariations？
Certainly，ifalltheeggsturnedoutwell，thescalycylindercontainingthelayingofasinglemotherwouldbeenoughtofillasplendidpurse:
therearethreehundredenamelledbeadshereforhatching。Butinfamilieswhichswarmundulyanenormouswastealwaystakesplacesandrestoresthebalanceofthings；ifthecalledarelegion，thechosenareawellthinned-outtroop，asisprovedbytheCicada，thePrayingMantis[note2]andtheCricket。ThePineProcessionary，anothercrucibleoforganicmatterofwhichvariousdevourerstakeadvantage，isalsoreducedinnumbersimmediatelyafterthehatching。Thedelicatemouthfulhasshrunktoafewdozensofsurvivorsaroundthelightglobularnetworkinwhichthefamilypassesthesunnyautumndays。Soontheywillhavetobethinkingofthestoutly-builtwintertent。Atsuchatime，itwouldbeabooniftheycouldbemany，forfromunionspringsstrength。
Isuspectaneasymethodoffusionamongafewfamilies。Toservethemasaguideperegrinationsaboutthetree，thecaterpillarshavetheirsilkribbon，whichtheyfollowontheirreturn，afterdescribingabend。Theymayalsomissitandstrikeanother，onedifferinginnorespectfromtheirown。Thisnewribbonmarksthewaytosomenestsituatedintheneighbourhood。
Thestrayedcaterpillars，failingtodistinguishitfromtheirownribbon，followitconscientiouslyandinthismannerendbyreachingastrangedwelling。Supposethemtobepeacefullyreceived:
whatwillhappen？
Oncefused，theseveralgroupsassembledbytheaccidentofthepathwillformapowerfulcity，fittedtoproducegreatworks；theconcertedweaklingswillgiverisetoastrong，unitedbody。Thiswouldexplainthethickly-populated，bulkynestssituatedsoneartoothersthathaveremainedpuny。Theformerwouldbetheworkofasyndicateincorporatingtheinterestsofspinnerscollectedfromdifferentparts；thelatterwouldbelongtofamiliesleftinisolationbytheluckoftheroad。
Itremainstobeseenwhetherthechance-comers，guidedbyastrangeribbon，meetwithagoodreceptioninthenewabode。Theexperimentiseasilymadeuponthenestsinthegreenhouse。Intheevening，atthehoursdevotedtograzing，Iremovewithapruning-shearsthedifferentlittlebranchescoveredwiththepopulationofonenestandlaythemontheprovisionsoftheneighbouringnest，whichprovisionsarealsooverrunwithcaterpillars。
OrIcanmakeshorterworkofitbytakingthewholebunch，wellcoveredwiththetroop，ofthefirstpouchandplantingitrightbesidethebunchofthesecond，sothattheleavesofthetwominglealittleattheedges。
Thereisnottheleastquarrellingbetweentherealproprietorsandthenewarrivals。Bothgoonpeacefullybrowsing，asthoughnothinghadhappened。Andallwithouthesitation，whenbed-timecomes，makeforthenestlikebrotherswhohavealwayslivedtogether；alldosomespinningbeforeretiringtorest，thickentheblanketalittleandarethenswallowedupinthedormitory。Byrepeatingthesameoperationnextdayand，ifnecessary，thedayafter，inordertocollectthelaggards，Isucceedwithouttheslightestdifficultyinwhollydepopulatingthefirstnestandtransferringallitscaterpillarstothesecond。
Iventuretodosomethingbetterstill。Thesamemethodoftransportationallowsmetoquadrupletheoutputofaspinning-millbyaddingtoittheworkersofthreesimilarestablishments。And，ifIlimitmyselftothisincrease，thereasonisnotthatanyconfusionmanifestsitselfinthisshiftingofquarters，butthatIseenoboundstomyexperiment，socheerfullydothecaterpillarsacceptanyadditiontotheirnumber。
Themorespinners，themorespinning:averyjudiciousruleofconduct。
Letusaddthatthecaterpillarswhichhavebeentransportedcherishnoregretsfortheiroldhouse。Theyarequiteathomewiththeothersandmakenoattempttoregainthenestwhencetheywerebanishedbymyartifices。Itisnotthedistancethatdiscouragesthem，fortheemptydwellingisonlyhalfayardawayatmost。If，forthepurposeofmystudies，Iwishtorestockthedesertednest，Iamobligedoncemoretoresorttotransportation，whichinvariablyprovessuccessful。
Later，inFebruary，whenanoccasionalfinedayallowsoflongprocessionsonthewallsandthesand-coveredshelfofthegreenhouse，Iamabletowatchthefusingoftwogroupswithoutpersonallyintervening。AllthatIhavetodoispatientlytofollowtheevolutionsofafileonthemarch。
Iseeitsometimes，afterleavingonenest，enteradifferentone，guidedbysomefortuitouschangeofroute。Thenceforwardthestrangersformpartofthecommunityonthesamefootingastheothers。
Inalikefashion，whenthecaterpillarswalkabroaduponthetreeatnight，thescantygroupsoftheoutsetmustincreaseandgatherthenumberofspinnerswhichanextensivebuildingrequires。
Everythingforeverybody。SosaysthePineProcessionary，nibblinghisleaveswithoutquarrellingintheleastoverhisneighbours’mouthfuls，orelseentering——andbeingalwayspeacefullyreceived——another’shomepreciselyashewouldhisown。Whetheramemberofthetribeorastranger，hefindsroomintherefectoryandroominthedormitoryTheothers’nestishisnest。Theothers’grazing-groundishisgrazing-ground，mwhichheisentitledtohisfairshare，oneneithergreaternorsmallerthantheshareofhishabitualorcasualcompanions。
Eachforallandallforeach。SosaystheProcessionary，whoeveryeveningspendshislittlecapitalofsilkonenlargingashelterthatisoftennewtohim。Whatwouldhedowithhispunyskein，ifalone？Hardlyanything。Buttherearehundredsandhundredsoftheminthespinning-mill；
andtheresultoftheirinfinitesimalcontributions，wovenintoacommonstuff，isathickblanketcapableofresistingthewinter。Inworkingforhimself，eachworksfortheothers；andtheseontheirsideworkaszealouslyforeach。Oluckyanimalsthatknownothingofproperty，themotherofstrife！Oenviablecenobites，whopractisethestrictestcommunism！
Thesehabitsofthecaterpillarsinviteafewreflections。Generousminds，richerinillusionsthaninlogic，setcommunismbeforeusasthesovereigncureforhumanills。Isitpracticableamongmankind？Atalltimestherehavebeen，therestillareandtherealwayswillbe，fortunately，associationsinwhichitispossibletoforgetincommonsomesmallpartofthehardshipsoflife；butisitpossibletogeneralize？
Thecaterpillarsofthepinecangiveusmuchvaluableinformationinthisrespect。Letushavenofalseshame:ourmaterialneedsaresharedbytheanimals；theystruggleaswedototakepartinthegeneralbanquetoftheliving；andthemannerinwhichtheysolvetheproblemofexistenceisnottobedespised。LetusthenaskourselveswhatthereasonsthatcausecenobitismtoflourishamongtheProcessionaries。
Oneanswersuggestsitselfinevitably，tobeginwith:thefoodproblem，thatterribledisturberoftheworld’stranquillity，isherenon-existent。
Peacereignsassoonasthestomachiscertainofbeingfilledwithoutastruggle。Apine-needleorevenlesssufficesforthecaterpillar’smeal；
andthatneedleisalwaysthere，waitingtobeeaten，isthereininexhaustiblenumbers，almostonthethresholdofhome。Whendinner-timearrives，wecaterpillarsgoout，wetaketheair，wewalkalittleinprocession；then，withoutlaboriousseeking，withoutjealousrivalries，weseatourselvesatthebanquet。Thetableisplentifullyspreadandwillneverbebare，solargegenerousisthepine；allthatweneedis，fromoneeveningtothenext，tomoveourdining-roomalittlefartheron。Consequently，therearenopresentandnofuturecaresonthesubjectofprovisions:thecaterpillarfindsfoodtoeatalmostaseasilyashefindsairtobreathe。
Theatmospherefeedsallcreaturesonairwithabountywhichitisnotnecessarytocrave。Allunknowntoitself，withouttheagencyofanyeffortorlabour，theanimalreceivesitsshareofthemostvitalofelements。Theniggardlyearth，onthecontrary，surrendersitsgiftsonlywhenlaboriouslyforced。Notfruitfulenoughtosatisfyeveryneed，itleavesthedivisionofthefoodtothefierceeagernessofcompetition。
Themouthfultobeprocuredengenderswarbetweenconsumers。LookattwoGround-beetlescomingatthesametimeuponabitofEarth-worm。Whichofthetwoshallhavethemorsel？Themattershallbedecidedbybattle，desperate，ferociousbattle。Withthesefamishedones，whoeatatlongintervalsanddonotalwayseattheirfill，communallifeisoutofthequestion。
ThePineCaterpillarisfreefromthesewoes。Hefindstheearthasgenerousastheatmosphere；hefindseatingaseasyasbreathing。Otherinstancesofperfectcommunismmightbenamed。Alloccuramongspecieslivingonavegetablediet，providedhoweverthatvictualsareplentifulandobtainablewithoutahardsearch。Ananimaldiet，onthecontrary，aprey，alwaysmoreorlessdifficulttosecure，banishescenobitism。Wheretheportionistoosmallforone，whatexcusewouldtherebeforguests？
ThePineProcessionaryknowsnothingofprivation。Heknowsaslittleoffamilyties，othersourceofunrelentingcompetition。Tomakeourselvesaplaceinthesunisbutahalfofthestruggleimposeduponusbylife:
wemustalso，asfaraspossible，prepareaplaceforoursuccessors；and，asthepreservationofthespeciesisofgreaterimportancethanthatoftheindividual，thestruggleforthefutureisevenfiercerthanthestruggleforthepresent。Everymotherregardsthewelfareofheroffspringasherprimarylaw。Perishallelse，providedthatthebroodflourish！Everyoneforhimselfishermaxim，imposedbytherigoursofthegeneralconflict；
everyoneforhimselfisherrule，thesafeguardofthefuture。
Withmaternityanditsimperiousduties，communismceasestobepracticable。
Atfirstsight，certainHymenoptera[note3]seemtodeclarethecontrary。Wefind，forinstance，theMason-beesoftheSheds[note4]nestinginmyriadsonthesametilesandbuildingamonumentaledificeatwhichallthemotherswork。Isthisreallyacommunity？Notatall。Itisacityinwhichtheinhabitantshaveneighbours，notcollaborators。Eachmotherkneadsherpotsofhoney；eachamassesadowryforheroffspringandnothingbutadowryforheroffspring；eachwearsherselfoutforherfamilyandonlyforherfamily。Oh，itwouldbeaseriousbusinessifsomeonemerelycameandalightedonthebrimofacellthatdidnotbelongtoher；themistressofthehousewouldgivehertounderstand，bymeansofasounddrubbing，thatmannerssuchasthosearenottobeendured！Shewouldhavetoskedaddleveryquickly，unlessshewantedafight。Therightsofpropertyaresacredhere。
EventhemuchmoresocialHive-beeisnoexceptiontotheruleofmaternalegoism。Toeachhiveonemother。Iftherebetwo，civilwarbreaksoutandoneofthemperishesbytheother’sdaggerorelsequitsthecountry，followedbyapartoftheswarm。Althoughvirtuallyfittolayeggs，theotherBees，tothenumberofsometwentythousand，renouncematernityandvowthemselvestocelibacyinordertobringuptheprodigiousfamilyoftheoneandonlymother。Here，communismreigns，undercertainaspects；
but，fortheimmensemajority，motherhoodisforthwithabolished。
EvensowiththeWasps，theAnts，theTermites[note5]andthevarioussocialinsects。Lifeincommoncoststhemdear。
Thousandsandthousandsremainincompleteandbecomethehumbleauxiliariesofafewwhoaresexuallyendowed。But，whenevermaternityisthegeneralportion，individualismreappears，asamongtheMason-bees，notwithstandingtheirshowofcommunism。
ThePineCaterpillarsareexemptfromthedutyofpreservingtherace。
Theyhavenosex，orratherareobscurelypreparingone，asundecidedandrudimentaryasallthatisnotyetbutmustonedaybe。Withtheblossomingofmaternity，thatflowerofadultage，individualpropertywillnotfailtoappear，attendedbyitsrivalries。Theinsectnowsopeaceablewill，liketheothers，haveitsdisplaysofselfishintolerance。Themotherswillisolatethemselves，jealousofthedoublepine-needleinwhichthecylinderofeggsistobefixed；themales，flutteringtheirwings，willchallengeoneanotherforthepossessionofthecovetedbride。Itisnotaseriousstruggleamongtheseeasy-goingones，butstillitpresentsafaintpictureofthosemortalaffrayswhichthematingsooftenproduces。
Loverulestheworldbybattle；ittooisahotbedofcompetition。
Thecaterpillar，beingalmostsexless，isindifferenttoamorousinstincts。
Thisisthefirstconditionforlivingpacificallyincommon。Butitisnotenough。Theperfectconcordofthecommunitydemandsamongallitsmembersanequaldivisionofstrengthandtalent，oftasteandcapacityforwork。Thiscondition，whichperhapsisthemostimportantofall，isfulfilledpreeminently。Iftherewerehundreds，iftherewerethousandsoftheminthesamenest，therewouldbenodifferencebetweenanyofthem。
Theyareallthesamesizeandequallystrong；allwearthesamedress；
allpossessthesamegiftforspinning；andallwithequalzealexpendthecontentsoftheirsilk-glandsforthegeneralwelfare。Nooneidles，nooneloungesalongwhenthereisworktobedone。Withnootherstimulusthanthesatisfactionofdoingtheirduty，everyevening，whentheweatherisfavourable，theyallspinwithequalindustryanddraintothelastdroptheirreservoirsofsilk，whichhavebecomedistendedduringtheday。Intheirtribethereisnoquestionofskilledorunskilled，ofstrongorweak，ofabstemiousorgluttonous；thereareneitherhard-workersnoridlers，neitherorspendthrifts。Whatonedoestheothersdo，withalikezeal，nomoreandnolesswell。Itisasplendidworldofequalitytruly，but，alas，aworldofcaterpillars！
IfitsuitedustogotoschooltothePineProcessionary，weshouldsoonseetheinanityofourlevellingandcommunistictheories。Equalityisamagnificentpoliticalcatchword，butlittlemore。Whereisit，thisequalityofours？Inoursocialgroups，couldwefindasmanyastwopersonsexactlyequalinstrength，health，intelligence，capacityforwork，foresightandalltheothergiftswhicharethegreatfactorsofprosperity？Whereshouldwefindanythinganalogoustotheexactparityprevailingamongcaterpillars？Nowhere。Inequalityisourlaw。Andagoodthing，too。
Asoundwhichisinvariablythesame，howeveroftenmultiplied，doesnotconstituteaharmony。Weneeddissimilarities，soundsloudandsoft，deepandshrill；weneedevendiscordswhich，bytheirharshness，throwintoreliefthesweetnessofthechords。Inthesameway，humansocietiesareharmoniousonlywiththeaidofcontraries。
Ifthedreamsofourlevellerscouldberealized，weshouldsinktothemonotonyofthecaterpillarsocieties；art，science，progressandtheloftyflightsoftheimaginationwouldslumberindefinitelyinthedeadcalmofmediocrity。
Besides，ifthisgenerallevellingwereeffected，weshouldstillbeveryfarfromcommunism。Toachievethat，weshouldhavetodoawaywiththefamily，asthecaterpillarsandPlatoteachus；weshouldneedabundanceoffoodobtainedwithoutanyeffort。Solongasamouthfulofbreadisdifficulttoacquire，demandinganindustryandlabourofwhichwearenotallequallycapable，solongasthefamilyremainsthesacredreasonforourforesight，solongwillthegeneroustheoryofallforeachandeachforallbeabsolutelyimpracticable。
Andthenshouldwegainbyabolishingthestruggleforthedailybreadofourselvesandthosedependentonus？Itisverydoubtful。
Weshouldbegettingridofthisworld’stwogreatjoys，workandthefamily，theonlyjoysthatgiveanyvaluetolife；weshouldbestiflingexactlythatwhichmakesourgreatness。Andtheresultofthisbestialsacrilegewouldbeacommunityofhumancaterpillars。ThusdoesthePineProcessionaryteachusbyhisexample。
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[note1]:InthecourseofanessayonaberrationofinstinctinacertainMason-waspwhichisnotyettranslatedintoEnglish——Translator’sNote。
[note2]:Apredatoryinsect，akintotheLocustsandCrickets，which，whenatrest，adoptsanattituderesemblingthatofPrayer。Cf。SocialLifeintheInsectWorld:chaps。vtovii——Translator’sNote。
[note3]:TheorderofinsectsembracingtheBees，Wasps，Ants，Saw-flies，Ichneumon-flies，etc——Translator’sNote。
[note4]:Cf。TheMason-beesbyJ。HenriFabre，translatedbyAlexanderTeixeiradeMattos，passim——Translator’sNote。
[note5]:WhiteAnts——Translator’sNote。3，TheLifeoftheCaterpillar，byJ。HenriFabre，1916TheLifeoftheCaterpillar，byJ。HenriFabre，1916III:THEPINEPROCESSIONARY:
THEPROCESSION
DROVERDingdong’sSheepfollowedtheRamwhichPanurgehadmaliciouslythrownoverboardandleaptnimblyintothesea，oneaftertheother，"foryouknow，"saysRabelais，"itisthenatureofthesheepalwaystofollowthefirst，wheresoeveritgoes；whichmakesAristotlemarkthemforthemostsillyandfoolishanimalsintheworld。"[note1]
ThePineCaterpillarisevenmoresheep-like，notfromfoolishness，butfromnecessity:wherethefirstgoesalltheothersgo，inaregularstring，withnotanemptyspacebetweenthem。
Theyproceedinsinglefile，inacontinuousrow，eachtouchingwithitsheadtherearoftheoneinfrontofit。Thecomplextwistsandturnsdescribedinhisvagariesbythecaterpillarleadingthevanarescrupulouslydescribedbyalltheothers。NoGreektheoriawindingitswaytotheEleusinianfestivalswasevermoreorderly。HencethenameofProcessionarygiventothegnawerofthepine。
Hischaracteriscompletewhenweaddthatheisarope-dancerallhislifelong:hewalksonlyonthetight-rope，asilkenrailplacedinpositionasheadvances。Thecaterpillarwhochancestobeattheheadoftheprocessiondribbleshisthreadwithoutceasingandfixesitonthepathwhichhisficklepreferencescausehimtotake。Thethreadissotinythattheeye，thougharmedwithamagnifying-glass，suspectsitratherthanseesit。
Butasecondcaterpillarstepsontheslenderfootboardanddoublesitwithhisthread；athirdtreblesit；andalltheothers，howevermanytherebe，addthestickysprayfromtheirspinnerets，somuchsothat，whentheprocessionhasmarchedby，thereremains，asarecordofitspassing，anarrowwhiteribbonwhosedazzlingwhitenessshimmersinthesun。Verymuchmoresumptuousthanours，theirsystemofroad-makingconsistsinupholsteringwithsilkinsteadofmacadamizing。Wesprinkleourroadswithbrokenstonesandlevelthembythepressureofaheavysteam-roller；theylayovertheirpathsasoftsatinrail，aworkofgeneralinteresttowhicheachcontributeshisthread。
Whatistheuseofallthisluxury？Couldtheynot，likeothercaterpillars，walkaboutwithoutthesecostlypreparations？Iseetworeasonsfortheirmodeofprogression。ItisnightwhentheProcessionariessallyforthtobrowseuponthepine-leaves。Theyleavetheirnest，situatedatthetopofabough，inprofounddarkness；theygodownthedenudedpoletilltheycometothenearestbranchthathasnotyetbeengnawed，abranchwhichbecomeslowerandlowerbydegreesastheconsumersfinishstrippingtheupperstoreys；theyclimbupthisuntouchedbranchandspreadoverthegreenneedles。
Whentheyhavehadtheirsuppersandbegintofeelthekeennightair，thenextthingistoreturntotheshelterofthehouse。Measuredinastraightline，thedistanceisnotgreat，hardlyanarm’slength；butitcannotbecoveredinthiswayonfoot。Thecaterpillarshavetoclimbdownfromonecrossingtothenext，fromtheneedletothetwig，fromthetwigtothebranch，fromthebranchtotheboughandfromthebough，byanolessangularpath，togobackhome。Itisuselesstorelyuponsightasaguideonthislonganderraticjourney。TheProcessionary，itistrue，hasfiveocularspecksoneithersideofhishead，buttheyaresoinfinitesimal，sodifficulttomakeoutthroughthemagnifying-glass，thatwecannotattributetothemanygreatpowerofvision。Besides，whatgoodwouldthoseshort-sightedlensesbeintheabsenceoflight，inblackdarkness？
Itisequallyuselesstothinkofthesenseofsmell。HastheProcessionalanyolfactorypowersorhashenot？Idonotknow。Withoutgivingapositiveanswertothequestion，Icanatleastdeclarethathissenseofsmellisexceedinglydullandinnowaysuitedtohelphimfindhisway。Thisisproved，inmyexperiments，byanumberofhungrycaterpillarsthat，afteralongfast，passclosebesideapine-branchwithoutbetrayinganyeagernessorshowingasignofstopping。Itisthesenseoftouchthattellsthemwheretheyare。Solongastheirlipsdonotchancetolightuponthepasture-land，notoneofthemsettlesthere，thoughheberavenous。
Theydonothastentofoodwhichtheyhavescentedfromafar；theystopatabranchwhichtheyencounterontheirway。
Apartfromsightandsmell，whatremainstoguidetheminreturningtothenest？Theribbonspunontheroad。IntheCretanlabyrinth，TheseuswouldhavebeenlostbutfortheclueofthreadwithwhichAriadnesuppliedhim。Thespreadingmazeofthepine-needlesis，especiallyatnight，asinextricablealabyrinthasthatconstructedforMinos。TheProcessionaryfindshiswaythroughit，withoutthepossibilityofamistake，bytheaidofhisbitofsilk。Atthetimeforgoinghome，eacheasilyrecoverseitherhisownthreadoroneorotheroftheneighbouringthreads，spreadfanwisebythedivergingherd；onebyonethescatteredtribelineuponthecommonribbon，whichstartedfromthenest；andthesatedcaravanfindsitswaybacktothemanorwithabsolutecertainty。
Longerexpeditionsaremadeinthedaytime，eveninwinter，iftheweatherbefine。Ourcaterpillarsthencomedownfromthetree，ventureontheground，marchinprocessionforadistanceofthirtyyardsorso。Theobjectofthesesalliesisnottolookforfood，forthenativepine-treeisfarfrombeingexhausted:theshornbrancheshardlycountamidthevastleafage。
Moreover，thecaterpillarsobservecompleteabstinencetillnightfall。Thetrippershavenootherobjectthanaconstitutional，apilgrimagetotheoutskirtstoseewhatthesearelike，possiblyaninspectionofthelocalitywhere，lateron，theymeantoburythemselvesinthesandfortheirmetamorphosis。
Itgoeswithoutsayingthat，inthesegreaterevolutions，theguidingcordisnotneglected。Itisnowmorenecessarythanever。Allcontributetoitfromtheproduceoftheirspinnerets，asistheinvariablerulewheneverthereisaprogression。Notonetakesastepforwardwithoutfixingtothepaththethreadhangingfromhislip。
Iftheseriesformingtheprocessionbeatalllong，theribbonisdilatedsufficientlytomakeiteasytofind；nevertheless，onthehomewardjourney，itisnotpickedupwithoutsomehesitation。Forobservethatthecaterpillarswhenonthemarchneverturncompletely:towheelroundontheirtight-ropeisamethodutterlyunknowntothem。Inorderthereforetoregaintheroadalreadycovered，theyhavetodescribeazig-zagwhosewindingsandextentaredeterminedbytheleader’sfancy。Hencecomegropingsandroamingswhicharesometimesprolongedtothepointofcausingtheherdtospendthenightoutofdoors。Itisnotaseriousmatter。Theycollectintoamotionlesscluster。To-morrowthesearchwillstartafreshandwillsoonerorlaterbesuccessful。Oftenerstillthewindingcurvemeetstheguide-threadatthefirstattempt。Assoonasthefirstcaterpillarhastherailbetweenhislegs，allhesitationceases；andthebandmakesforthenestwithhurriedsteps。
Theuseofthissilk-tapestriedroadwayisevidentfromasecondpointofview。Toprotecthimselfagainsttheseverityofthewinterwhichhehastofacewhenworking，thePineCaterpillarweaveshimselfashelterinwhichhespendshisbadhours，hisdaysofenforcedidleness。Alone，withnonebutthemeagreresourcesofhissilk-glands，hewouldfinddifficultyinprotectinghimselfonthetopofabranchbuffetedbythewinds。Asubstantialdwelling，proofagainstsnow，galesandicyfogs，requiresthecooperationofalargenumber。Outoftheindividual’spiled-upatoms，thecommunityobtainsaspaciousanddurableestablishment。Theenterprisetakesalongtimetocomplete。Everyevening，whentheweatherpermits，thebuildinghastobestrengthenedandenlarged。Itisindispensable，therefore，thatthecorporationofworkersshouldnotbedissolvedwhilethestormyseasoncontinuesandtheinsectsarestillinthecaterpillarstage。But，withoutspecialarrangements，eachnocturnalexpeditionatgrazing-timewouldbeacauseofseparation。Atthatmomentofappetiteforfoodthereisareturntoindividualism。Thecaterpillarsbecomemoreorlessscattered，settlingsinglyonthebranchesaround；eachbrowseshispine-needleseparately。Howaretheytofindoneanotherafterwardsandbecomeacommunityagain？
Theseveralthreadsleftontheroadmakethiseasy。Withthatguide，everycaterpillar，howeverfarhemaybe，comesbacktohiscompanionswithoutevermissingtheway。Theycomehurryingfromahostoftwigs，fromhere，fromthere，fromabove，frombelow；andsoonthescatteredlegionreformsintoagroup。Thesilkthreadissomethingmorethanaroad-makingexpedient:itisthesocialbond，thesystemthatkeepsthemembersofthecommunityindissolublyunited。
Attheheadofeveryprocession，longorshort，goesafirstcaterpillarwhomIwillcalltheleaderofthemarchorfile，thoughthewordleader，whichIuseforwantofabetter，isalittleoutofplacehere。Nothing，infact，distinguishesthiscaterpillarfromtheothers:itjustdependsupontheorderinwhichtheyhappentolineup；andmerechancebringshimtothefront。AmongtheProcessionaries，everycaptainisanofficeroffortune。Theactualleaderleads；presentlyhewillbeasubaltern，ifthefileshouldbreakupinconsequenceofsomeaccidentandbeformedanewinadifferentorder。
Histemporaryfunctionsgivehimanattitudeofhisown。Whiletheothersfollowpassivelyinaclosefile，he，thecaptain，tosseshimselfaboutandwithanabruptmovementflingsthefrontofhisbodyhitherandthither。
Ashemarchesaheadheseemstobeseekinghisway。Doesheinpointoffactexplorethecountry？Doeshechoosethemostpracticableplaces？Orarehishesitationsmerelytheresultoftheabsenceofaguidingthreadongroundthathasnotyetbeencovered？Hissubordinatesfollowveryplacidly，reassuredbythecordwhichtheyholdbetweentheirlegs；he，deprivedofthatsupport，isuneasy。
WhycannotIreadwhatpassesunderhisblackshinyskull，solikeadropoftar？Tojudgebyactions，thereishereasmalldoseofdiscernmentwhichisable，afterexperimenting，torecognizeexcessiveroughnesses，over-slipperysurfaces，dustyplacesthatofferresistanceand，aboveall，thethreadsleftbyotherexcursionists。ThisisallornearlyallthatmylongacquaintancewiththeProcessionarieshastaughtmeastotheirmentality。Poorbrains，indeed；poorcreatures，whosecommonwealthhasitssafetyhanginguponathread！
Theprocessionsvarygreatlyinlength。ThefinestthatIhaveseenmanoeuvringonthegroundmeasuredtwelveorthirteenyardsandnumberedaboutthreehundredcaterpillarsdrawnupwithabsoluteprecisioninawavyline。But，iftherewereonlytwoinarow，theorderwouldstillbeperfect:thesecondtouchesandfollowsthefirst。
ByFebruaryIhaveprocessionsofalllengthsinthegreenhouseWhattrickscanIplayuponthem？Iseeonlytwo:todoawaywiththeleader；
andtocutthethread。