“It is more than probable that one butterfly laid the whole lot,” his uncle replied; “for the white butterfly lays, as a rule, over two hundred eggs.”
“That is about as many eggs as a hen lays in a year,” said Frank.
“Yes,” said Uncle George, “a good hen and a white butterfly lay about the same number of eggs in a year; but the butterfly lays all her eggs in one day.
“After laying her eggs, she dies. That is perhaps why she always lays them on the kind of plant which the young caterpillars can feed upon when they hatch out.
“Let us look at the caterpillars now. We need not take them out, as we can easily see them through the glass side of the cage.
“Notice that the body of the cabbage caterpillar consists of a round, dark coloured head and a number of broad, ring-like divisions. How many of these divisions are there?”
“Twelve,” said Frank, after counting carefully.
“Right!” said his uncle. “Now, about legs—how many are there?”
“There are three pairs of legs on the first three divisions of its body, and a pair of shorter and stouter legs on each of the sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth divisions, making seven pairs of legs altogether,” Frank answered.
