HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



175 



ON THE COLOURS OF LEPIDOPTERA. 



T>UTTERFLIES, bkds, and flowers are tlie 

 -*-^ poetry of uature. What would the world be 

 without their bright colours, sweet songs, and fra- 

 grant odours ? Every one with an eye for beauty is 

 charmed with the hues of the Lepidoptera. It is a 

 common error with the non-entomological to sup- 

 pose that bright colours are confined solely to the 

 Papilionidse. I have often enjoyed, when showing 

 my collection and have brought out the drawer con- 

 taining the Euchelidse and Chelonidse, to hear the 

 exclamation of surprise, " Those moths, I thou ght 

 they were butterflies, they are so pretty ! " 



Of the effect of heat in intensifying colour, the 

 Cleopatra of Madeira, compared with our own 

 Q. Rhamni, affords a striking example, the orange 

 spots in the latter being suffused over a great por- 

 tion of the wings of the former. In early spring, 

 when the sun has but little power, the first butter- 

 flies we meet with are those with little or no colour ; 

 namely, the Whites. As the season advances the 

 tints become brighter, and whites with orange- 

 tipped wings (Cardamines) appear; but it is iu 

 summer and autumn, when the sun is in his might, 

 that the choicest and loveliest specimens of our 

 Lepidoptera are found. Then it is we look for Iris, 

 in his robe of purple ; Atalanta, iu her vivid scarlet, 

 approaching nearest to the glories of the tropics ; 

 lo, of softer, but not less exquisite beauty ; Edusa, 

 the Blues, the Golden Skippers, and Argynuidi. 

 Beautiful though the Papiliouida; of this country 

 may be, however, they are far excelled by exotic 

 insects. Here is a wealth of colour iu which the 

 eye can revel with delight. Many possess a metallic 

 lustre of which we have but one example — the 

 Coppers ; others, when in certain lights, or held in 

 certain positions, change their colours very remark- 

 ably, no doubt owing to scales of different shades 

 being placed transversely, like the threads in shot 

 silks. 



It is somewhat curious that blue, though of such 

 frequent occurrence in buttterflies, is entirely absent 

 iu the Heterocera ; the band on the hind wings of 

 C. Fraxini — in reality a French grey — being the 

 closest approximation ; while the crimson prevail- 

 ing so much among moths is wanting in butterflies. 

 Again, it is noticeable that the bright colours of 

 moths — and many of them are not surpassed by 

 butterflies, witness the Tigers, Cinnabar, and Cato- 

 calidse, — are confined to the hind wings, the upper 

 being of sober hues, or at least only streaked and 

 flecked with the bright tints of the lower. When 

 settled, the hind wings of moths are always hidden 

 from view. May not this be taken as another 

 instance of the wisdom and care of the great 

 Creator for the meanest and feeblest of his crea- 

 tures ? It is indubitably a means of protection, 



by which, being rendered less conspicuous objects, 

 they are enabled to elude the vigilance of many a 

 hungry bird. Joseph Andekson, Jui?. 



COLLECTION CATALOGUES. 



■jy/TR. F. T. MOTT, in Science-Gossip for May, 

 -^'-■- asks for information as to the best means to form 

 a catalogue of a collection of 2,000 objects in such 

 a manner that additions may be constantly made to 

 it without leading to confusion. I have adopted a 

 plan of my own, which I have found very useful, 

 especially for indexing, and which I think may also 

 answer Mr. Mott's purpose. I will give an exam- 

 ple how I proceed, when wishing to form an index 

 or other alphabetical list. While on the subject, 

 let me say that in my opinion the neglect of a good 

 index often deteriorates much the usefulness of a 

 great many most valuable works, and I sometimes, 

 for my own use, form an index to a book if I am 

 likely to have to refer to it often, whilst reading it. 

 Taking a sheet of ordinary ruled foolscap, at right 

 angles to the existing lines I rule others, and on 

 these the various entries are written. Close to the 

 edge of what would ordinarily be the front of the 

 paper, between the first twenty. six lines I set dowii 

 the letters of the alphabet, and then the sheet is 

 ready for use. Suppose, for example, it is the page 

 of Science-Gossip on which Mr. Mott's query 

 occurs that I wish to index. I begin by writing 

 under the letter S— Starling, The, 118 ; next under 

 C, Catalogues, Collection, 118; next under G, Gas- 

 light, Does G-L kill plants ? 118, and so on. Thus 

 several entries cau be placed on each line, and there 

 is only one page in use instead of, at least, twenty- 

 six as is ordinarily the case. Although very easy 

 to employ, the plan is difficult to explain. Perhaps 

 it V70uld be possible to set up an example in type. 



» * * » 



ft * * * * 



* Ordinary lines. 



t Extra lines. 



If I wished to form an exact catalogue, for con- 

 stant reference, of so many as 2,000 or 3,000 objects, 

 I should then take a page for each letter, the leaves 

 being fastened together at one end. Although by 



