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The hatching of the butterfly

Digging in the field that once contained the cabin where Stonewall Jackson's mother was born, I finished my paperwork and looked up to find this. So I took him home for further observation... On Left: afternoon of 8/25 (note the shed catterpillar skin) On Right: 9/4, at 1:27 pm

Left: 1:46 pm Inflating the wings by pushing liquid into them from the abdomen Right: 1:47 pm

1:48 pm See the wings uncurling

1:49 pm Please pardon the size (this one is particularly blurry)... The abdomen is shrinking rapidly, and the wings are nearly unfolded, though not yet full-sized.

Left: 1:51 pm Although the pace of the change has slowed, the upper wings are still growing noticeably Right: 1:54 pm

2:09	3:18, beginning to flutter its wings

3:25 pm At this point there wasn't much left to watch, and so it flew away around 4 without witnesses.

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