INSECT LIFE. 

 LESSON XXV. 



THE STRUCTURE OF BUTTERFLIES. 



1. Take a butterfly that has just been killed or 

 one that has been relaxed in a damping jar, and pin 

 it so that it can be handled without rubbing the 

 colors from the wings. 



2. Examine the compound eyes with a lens or 

 microscope, and make a drawing illustrating the 

 structure of the surface ; only a small portion of one 

 eye need be represented, but show this greatly en- 

 larged. 



3. Observe on the lower side of the head two 

 forward-projecting organs. These are the feelers of 

 the lower lip or labial palpi. 



4. Observe an organ that is coiled up between 

 the labial palpi. If the butterfly has been recently 

 killed or is thoroughly relaxed, this organ can be 

 straightened out by using a pin. It is the sucking 

 tube by means of which the insect extracts nectar 

 from flowers. It is composed of two parallel parts 

 closely united, but with a channel between them 

 through which the nectar is sucked. These two 

 parts are the maxillae, which have become greatly 

 developed and modified to fit them for sucking. 

 The other mouth-parts, except the labial palpi, are 

 poorly developed. 



5. Remove the head and gum it with the maxillae 

 uncoiled to a card which is large enough to receive 

 the two wings of one side also. 



6. Remove the two wings of one side and gum 

 them to the card with the head. 



