THE CABBAGE BUTTERFLIES. 295 



It then seizes the crumpled skin between two of its 

 segments^ and by writhing its body in different direc- 

 tions at last succeeds in detaching the substance to 

 be got rid of, which it quietly drops, and then subsides 

 into a quiescent state. Its integuments then quickly 

 harden, and it resembles a mass of dead matter, 

 although it is still capable of performing some curious 

 jerking motions when disturbed. On its lower sur- 

 face the limbs and antennae are to be seen distinctly, 

 lying folded on the breast and enclosed in their cases ; 

 — the cases in which the wings are enveloped form a 

 conspicuous feature on the sides of the body, and the 

 front of the head is produced into a point which en- 

 closes the long labial palpi. 



The common White or Cabbage Butterflies and 

 their caterpillars are to be seen throughout the 

 summer and autumn, from May to September or 

 October. In this time they produce two generations; 

 that is to say, the insects proceeding from eggs laid 

 in the early part of the season, undergo all their 

 transformations in the course of the summer, pro- 

 ducing a fresh supply of Butterflies, the young of 

 which pass through the winter in the pupa state. 



Very similar to these are the habits of the whole 

 of the great tribe of Butterflies, to which the name of 

 Papilionina may be applied. As this tribe is the 

 only one included in the division of the Rhopalocera, 

 of which the distinctive characters have been given 

 above, it will be unnecessary to dwell at any length 

 upon their peeuUarities; but I may observe, in passing, 

 that their larvae always possess sixteen feet, that is to 

 say, three pairs of true feet situated on the thoracic 

 segments, four pairs of abdominal, and on6 pair of 

 anal prolegs. 



