vi SCALES 331 



giving rise to metallic " interference-colours." The walls of the 



scales are themselves, in some cases, tinted with pigment. It is 



said that some of the scales contain air, and that the glistening 



whiteness of certain scales is due to this. The exposed surface of 



the scale usually differs from the 



surface that is pressed down on 



the wing in being delicately and 



regularly striated ; the colours 



of the upper and under surfaces 



of a scale may also be quite 



different. Scales are essentially 



of the nature of hairs, and all 



" 8 



the transitions between hairs and FlG . 172> _ i nser tion of scales. A. 



true scales may be found on the Socket holding the stalk in 



P _ . , mellonella ; B, insertion of the scale 



WlllgS ol certain Lepldoptera that O f Polyommatus phloeas. b, Base of 



bear botli hairs and scales, e.g. scale ; r > holding-ring ; w, surface of 



. wing. (After Spuler.) 



Jt/iomia. It has been calculated 



that there are a million and a half of scales on the wings of an 

 individual of the genus Mbrpho. The scales are arranged on 

 the wing in an overlapping manner, somewhat like slates on the 

 roof of a house. Each scale has a short stalk, and is maintained 

 in position by the stalk fitting into a cavity in a projection of 

 the wing-membrane (Fig. 172). 



Androconia. The males of numerous butterflies possess 

 scales peculiar in kind and various in arrangement. They may 

 be either irregularly scattered over the wing, or they may form 

 very complex definite structures (Fig. 173). They were formerly 

 called " plumules," but Scudder has replaced this name by the 

 better one, " androconia." The function of the androconia is 

 still obscure. An odour is believed to be connected with them. 

 Thomas supposes 1 that these scales are hollow tubes in connec- 

 tion with glands at their bases, and that matter secreted by the 

 glands passes through the scales and becomes diffused. In 

 nearly all Lepidoptera it is the male that seeks the female ; if 

 therefore odorous scales were present in one sex only we should 

 have supposed that this would have been the female rather than 

 the male. As, however, the reverse is the case, the function of 

 the androconia is supposed to be that of charming the female. 

 Scudder considers that the covering part of the audroconial 

 1 Amcr. Natural., xxvii. 1893, p. 1018. 



