34 



Marvels of Insect Life. 



they have cut sufficient. Where acacia bushes are growing they also gather the 

 leaflets of that plant. After the heat of the day has passed, they take down the 

 heaps that have accumulated around the holes and store the material in chambers 

 about five feet below the surface. A few chambers near the surface may be used 

 temporarily, but these only hold as much as could be collected in the course of 

 an hour or two. Sometimes, after taking in all the cut leaves, they bring up pellets 

 of clav in their jaws and stop the mouths of the holes \\-ith it. 



The Orange-tip Butterfly. 



Although only a small 

 item in the pageant of spring, 

 we should regret the absence 

 of this bright little butterfly 

 from our country lanes in May. 

 The popular name of orange- 

 tip ^ is fairly good as applied 

 to the male, but it is unsuit- 

 able so far as the female is 

 concerned, for she is normally 

 without any orange coloration. 

 Even as regards the male the 

 name is not absolutelv accurate, 

 for the tip of the wing is black, 

 in which respect it agrees with 

 the female. The orange of the 

 male adjoins and is below this 

 black tip. A little in front of 

 the centre of the fore-wings 

 is a variable black spot, larger 

 in the female than in the male ; 

 otherwise the wings are white, 

 more or less tinged with cream. 

 A greenish - grey clouding of 

 the hind-wings is due to the 

 markings on the under side 

 showing through to the upper 

 side. On the under sid(> tlu' 

 hind-wing is seen to be covered with connected blotches of greyish-green, which 

 appear to have considerable value in hiding the butterfly when at rest. It 

 often selects for this purpose one of the smaller umbelliferous plants, such as 

 beaked parsle\' or wild carrot. The fore-wings are dropped between the two 

 hind ones, which are raised over the back in the usual butterfly resting fasliion, 

 and the mottled wing then appears to be merclv an extension of the flower 

 mass — the white spaces between the greenish bk)tches representing the flowers. 



Photo b\\ 



The Hornet-Fly. 



[E. Steb, F.L.S. 



This, one of tht- largest of our two-winged flics, belongs to a family known 

 collectively as robber-flies, from their habits of pouncing upon other Insects of 

 aU kinds and destroying them. In the grub stage they live in the earth, attacking 

 other Insects, particularly the grubs of beetles. The example here shown, 

 four times the natural size, is the male— the female is considerably the larger. 



' EucIiIol; cardaniines 



