lest of the group. I do not
know enough of her habits to say anything more about her.

These botanical details tell us that the Crioceres, which hatch early,
in the middle of summer, have no reason to fear famine. If the
Lily-beetle can no longer find her favourite plant, she can browse
upon Solomon's seal and smilax, not to mention the lily of the valley
and, I dare say, a few others of the same family. The other three are
more favoured. Their food-plant remains erect, green and well provided
with leaves until the end of autumn. The wild asparagus even,
undaunted by the extreme cold, maintains a sturdy existence all the
year round. Belated resources, moreover, are superfluous. After a
brief period of summer freedom, the various Crioceres seek their
winter quarters and go to earth under the dead leaves.

CHAPTER XVIII
THE CLYTHRAE

The Lily-beetle dresses herself: with her ordure she makes herself a
cosy gown, an infamous garment, it is true, but an excellent
protection against parasites and sunstroke. The weaver of faecal cloth
has hardly any imitators. The Hermit-crab dresses himself: he selects
to fit him, from the discarded wardrobe of the Sea-snail, an empty
shell, damaged by the waves; he slips his poor abdomen, which is
incapable of hardening, inside it and leaves outside his great fists
of unequal size, clad in stone boxing-gloves. This is yet another
example rarely followed.

With a few exceptions, all the more remarkable because they are so
rare, the animal, in fact, is not burdened by the need of clothing
itself. Endowed, without having to manufacture a thing, with all that
it wants, it knows nothing of the art of adding defensive extras to
its natural covering.

The bird has no need to take thought of its plumage, the furry beast
of its coat, the reptile of its scales, the Snail of his shell, the
Ground-beetle of his jerkin. They display no ingenuity with the object
of securing protection from the inclemencies of the atmosphere. Hair,
down, scales, mother-of-pearl and other items of the animal's apparel:
these are all produced of their own accord, on an automatic loom.

Man, for his part, is naked; and the severities of the climate oblige
him to wear an artificial skin to protect his own. This poverty has
given rise to one of our most attractive industries.

He invented clothing who, shivering with cold, first thought of
flaying the Bear and covering his shoulders with the brute's hide. In