CH. III.] INSECTS WHICH FORM COCOONS. 49 



the works of the creation, from which we may per- 

 haps obtain another reason why the chrysahdes of 

 the butterflies should be naked and exposed, and 

 those of the moths incased in a dark cocoon. 



The butterflies being day-fliers, and exposed to the 

 sun, are far more splendidly adorned with colours 

 than any other of the Lepidoptera, while the dusk 

 and night-flying moths, especially the NoctvcE, which 

 are eminently nocturnal, are almost invariably of 

 dingy teints. Those NoctucE, however, which depart 

 from the character of the family by becoming par- 

 tial day-fliers, such as Noctua, Chrysites, &c., have 

 their wings clothed with splendid scales, whence 

 some of them are known by the English names of 

 the Burnished Brass Moth, the Gold Spangle, &c. 

 This economy is however even carried to a more 

 singular extent ; since in those moths whose upper 

 wings do not cover the lower, the latter are equally 

 variegated with the former, while in those which 

 rest with the upper wings meeting together and cov- 

 ering the lower, the latter are of a uniform dirty 

 brown colour, u'ithout markings. In like manner, 

 we find in the moths produced from the geometric 

 or looper caterpillars, a greater variety of teints than 

 are exhibited in the other tribes of moths ; and we 

 consequently find them sporting by day, and form- 

 ing a portion of a section which Mr. Stephens has, 

 from this circumstance, termed Pomeridiana, with 

 the remark that they fly early in the afternoon, and 

 in the evening or in the twilight, though some few 

 may be found throughout the night. But the typi- 

 cal species fly in the full blaze of sunshine, and 

 when they alight elevate their wings after the man- 

 ner of the Papilionidm. 



The indefatigable French naturalist Reaumur, to 

 whose remarks we and other authors liave been so 

 much indebted, has given two chapters upon the con- 

 struction of cocoons — his twelfth memoir of the first 

 volume, comprising such as are of a rounded form, 



Vol. II.— E 



