2 THE COMMONER BUTTERFLIES. 



or liinoer end of the body; from this temporary prison 

 escapes in due time the winged creature of beauty which 

 adds such a charm to the summer hind scape. 



Butterflies differ from otlier Lepidoptera by having 

 chibbed or knobbed antennae in their perfect stage, and 

 generally in their transformations, for most of them are 

 hung up by silken cords attached to hooks on the tail, and 

 sometimes also by a girth around the waist; they are rarely 

 enclosed in cocoons, or, if so, the chrysalis is in most cases 

 also supported within ; while moths (i.e., all other Lepi- 

 doptera) usually construct silken cocoons, often of very 

 close texture, or make cells in the ground, in either of 

 which cases the chrysalis lies loosely within or attached by 

 the tail only. Butterflies usually fly by day, moths usually 

 by night. Butterflies usually rest with their wings erect; 

 moths usually with wings flatly expanded or sloping down- 

 ward on either side like a tent. 



2. The Structure of the Perfect Insect or Imago. 



The body of a butterfly is distinctly separated into three 

 divisions: the head, to which the antennae and the coiled 

 tongue are attached; the chest, trunk, or thorax, which 

 supports the four wings and three pairs of legs; and the 

 abdomen. 



The head is the smallest part, but contains a wonderful 

 lot of interesting organs. The sides are almost entirely oc- 

 cupied by large faceted eyes; from the summit spring a 

 pair of slender thread-like but apically clubbed antennae; 

 while beneath, between the scaly and hairy upcurved 

 three-jointed a23pendages, called- labial palpi, the spiral 

 tongue (maxilla) is coiled. 



The most interesting of these organs is this tongue. It 

 coils up just like a watch-spring, but may be extended at 

 full length, as when plunged into the depths of a flower 



