INTRODUCTION. 



1. What are Butterflies ? 



One of the great groups or "orders" into which in- 

 sects are divided is called Lepidoptera (derived from two 

 Greek words meaning scaly-wings). This group differs 

 from all other insects by having in the perfect stage a long, 

 hollow, thread-like tongue, through which fluids may be 

 sucked or rather pumped i\]), and which, when not in use, 

 is coiled up like a watch-spring; and by having four rather 

 broad wiugs covered with colored scales overlying one 

 another in rows like shingles, slates, or tiles on a roof. 

 These insects undergo striking changes in the course of 

 their lives; for they are hatched from the egg as crawling 

 worms having a globular head with biting jaws, and a body 

 supported not only by the three pairs of short horny legs 

 found in the young of most insects, but by several, gener- 

 ally five, pairs of stumpy, fleshy legs behind them ; while the 

 two joints of the body next following those with horny 

 legs and some other joints near the hinder end never 

 have any; from this they change into a pupa or chrysalis, 

 a mummy-like object with the legs, wings, and other 

 members swathed upon the breast and with no possible 

 motion excci^t i i (1:0 wri'-o-lino- of the joints of the abdomen 



