44 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



Illinois, but have never seen inclusa in this region, though I have looked 

 carefully for the larvae in both willow and poplar for several years. If 

 palla breeds as true to type in all localities where found as it does here, we 

 shall have to regard it as a good species. 



PROBABLE ORIGIN OF THE WORD BUTTERFLY. 



BY FREDERICK CLARKSON, NEW YORK CITY. 



The transformation of a grovelling worm to the glory that attaches to 

 the winged aspirant of the heavens, has won for this insect from remote 

 antiquity the appellation of Spirit or Soul, as typical of the resurrected 

 human body. There is, I think, good reason to believe that the root 

 meaning of the word Butterfly dates back to early Egyptian history, and 

 as a hieroglyphic it is synonymous as representing the qualities of com- 

 pleteness and perfection which characterize the soul. I have supposed 

 that it might serve the interest of this journal to record such historical 

 gleanings bearing upon this subject as have come within my reach. It is 

 said that in Yorkshire in England, the country folk call the night-flying 

 white moths. Souls. This restricted application of the term very forcibly 

 expresses what had been traditionally received by these people, and which 

 they unwittingly have applied to certain white winged species. The Eng- 

 lish word Moth is said to be the Egyptian MUT or MAT. MAT is to 

 pass ; MUT to die ; MATT, unfold, unwind, open, as the chrysalis 

 entered the winged state and passed. The winged thing was a symbol of 

 the Soul ; it appears in the hieroglyphics as the Moth or Butterfly. The 

 common view, we know, originates the word with the yellow Diurnae as 

 illustrated in the butter-colored wings of the genus Colias. The word 

 Butter is supposed to be derived from PUT (Eg.), food ; and TER (Eg ), 

 made, fabricated. The Butterfly may be the type PUT (Eg.), TER, 

 complete, perfect. Thus in death (MUT) the Soul passed, unfolded like 

 the Moth, whose chrysalis showed and was the type of the process, whence 

 the Butterfly. CaUing the Moth a Soul identifies the imagery as Egyptian. 

 In Cornwall, in England, departed souls, moths and fairies are called 

 Piskeys. Piskey is the same word as Psyche, and both are derived from 

 the Egyptian, in which KHE is the soul, and SU is she ; hence the fem- 



