THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 



37 



CHAPTER VII 



BUTTERFLY TALK. 



^HEN the class met again, Mr. Benedict asked 

 the boys to tell him, as well as they could, 

 what they had been able to learn about the 

 Papilio Asterias. 



They were all very shy about speaking. 

 At last Gilbert said, " Mr. Benedict, there were two de- 

 scribed in my book almost alike, and I don't see how we 

 are to know them apart." 



"They are very much alike, it is true," said the teacher. 

 " The other one is the Papilio Troilus." 



"The only difference I can find," said Gilbert, "is that 

 the spot which is blue on the wing of the Asterias butter- 

 fly is greenish on the Troilus." 



"I think, Sir," said Hal, "that these butterflies differ in 

 the caterpillar instead of the butterfly." 



" The caterpillar ! " said little Frank Mason. " What 

 do you mean by the caterpillar ? " 



" My dear Frank," said the teacher, " the caterpillar is 

 the baby of the butterfly. It is hatched from the butter- 

 fly's eggs, and feeds about on various plants, according to 

 its kind, until it is full grown. Then it changes to a 



