THE PUPA OR CHRYSALIS 53 



Some of the small butterflies and moths take to flight long before 

 an hour has passed, but in many cases several hoxu's elapse before 

 the creature starts from its first resting place. Butterflies that 

 emerge in the morning spend their first day actively on the wing ; 

 but the nocturnal moths that emerge early in the day do not fly till 

 evening twilight. When, however, the time arrives, the insect 

 flutters its wings as if to test their power before committing itself 

 to the air ; and frequently, after only a few seconds spent in this 

 preparatory exercise, off it darts with astonisliing rapidit^y. But 

 others seem far more cautious. They vibrate their wings, some- 

 times with such rapidity that they are lost in a kind of mist, and 

 with such power that their bodies would be carried suddenly into 

 the air were they not firmly anchored by three pairs of hooked 

 claws. Then, continuing the rapid vibration, they move slowly 

 along, always holding on firmly by one or more legs, as if to still 

 further satisfy themselves concerning the efficiency of their wings. 

 Then they ventvu^e on a few short trial trips fi-om one neighbouring 

 object to another, and at last gain svifticient confidence for a long 

 voyage. 



How strange must be the feelings of a winged insect during its 

 first flight ! After a long period during which it was a helpless, 

 crawling grub, and this followed by a term of imprisonment during 

 which it was almost or quite shut off from the woi4d, it now sud- 

 denly' acquires such great powers of locomotion that it is often a 

 match for ourselves. 



But, alas ! this life is short. A few days spent in sporting with 

 those it meets and in sucking the sweet juices of many flowers ; 

 then a day or two during which the female deposits its eggs ; again 

 a few days employed in j^leasures that become less and less attrac- 

 tive, till, at last, the creatiu*e becomes weary of life and settles 

 down to die. 



We have now traced the complete life history of the Lepido- 

 jjtcra from the egg to the perfect insect, avoiding descriptions that 

 apply only to certain species as far as possible, excepting where 

 such are useful as illustrations. 



Only one thing more remains to be done before we start in real 

 earnest with our practical work. We shall shortly be giving hints 

 on the modes of capture, the ' setting ' and the preservation of 

 butterflies and moths. And in so doing we shall often liave to 

 observe important points in which our dealings with these two 

 great divisions of the order will differ very materially. Hence we 



