120 THE BRIMSTONE. 



Of all the wings of all the butterflies, these bear, perhaps, 

 the closest similitude to floral productions, and on each, as if to 

 perfect the resemblance of their delicate flower-like colouring, 

 is a reddish spot, an exact copy of that often produced by decay 

 or accident, on the surface of a yellow petal. In the beautiful 

 raised veining of their reverse, the pinions of the " Brimstone '' 

 are no less correspondent with the same ; but those of the 

 female which, instead of yellow, are of a greenish white, 

 resemble, perhaps yet more nearly, the leaf of a poplar on its 

 under side. The dye of the antennae that purplish pink, so 

 frequent upon tender leaf and flower stems, also the clothing 

 of the body a soft, satiny down, like that by which stalks and 

 seed pods are so often invested, are all alike accordant with the 

 floral character of this most elegant flutterer of the spring. 

 This pretty butterfly comes of a pretty caterpillar, with a 

 smooth, green coat, dotted or shagreened with black, and 

 marked by a whitish line along the back and sides. It is said 

 to feed usually on the leaves of buckthorn and alder. 



The term Papilio, which was used by Linnaeus to designate 

 all diurnal or day-flying Lepidopterse, has now become much 

 restricted, including, amongst a company of brilliant foreigners, 

 only one or two native species. 



Of the latter is the " Swallow Tail," * a beautiful insect, ap- 

 proaching more nearly to some of the tropic butterflies, both in 



ilio Machaon. 



