The Life-History and Anatomy of Butterflies 



word pw-TTaXov {rhopalon), which means a club, and the word xe'pa? 

 (keras) which means a born. 



It will be observed from what has been said that the head in 

 these creatures is to a large extent the seat of the organs of sense 

 and alimentation. What the function of the antennae may be is 

 somewhat doubtful, the opinion of scientific men being divided. 

 The latest researches would indicate that these organs, which 

 have been regarded as the organs of smell and sometimes 

 as the organs of hearing, have probably a compound function, 

 possibly enabling the creature to hear, certainly to smell, but also, 

 perhaps, being the seat of impressions which are not strictly like 

 any which we receive through our senses. 



Thorax.— The thorax is more or less oval in form, being 

 somewhat flattened upon its upper surface. It is composed of 

 three parts, or segments, closely united, which can only be dis- 

 tinguished from one another by a careful dissection. The anterior 

 segment is known as the prothorax, the 

 middle segment as the mesothorax, and the 

 after segment as the metathorax. The legs 

 are attached in pairs to these three subdivi- 

 sions of the thorax, the anterior pair being 

 therefore sometimes spoken of as the pro- 

 thoracic legs, the second pair as the meso- fig. 34.— Co/urs phUo- 

 thoracic legs, and the latter pair as the ^^'c^.- «, antenna; />, extrem- 

 metathoracic legs (Fig. 34). On either ieg;^J/'^me'sot^^ 

 side of the mesothorax are attached the f^i, metathoradc or hind 

 anterior pair of wings, over which, at ^^' ' ^'° °^'^'^' 

 their insertion into the body, are the tegitla% or lappets ; on either 

 side of the metathorax are the posterior pair of wings. It will 

 be seen from what has been said that the thorax 

 bears the organs of locomotion. The under side 

 of the thorax is frequently spoken of by writers, 

 in describing butterflies, as the pectus, or breast. 

 The Abdomen. —The abdomen is formed nor- 

 Fig 35.— Leg ot mally of nine segments, and in most butterflies 



butterfly: c, coxa; . , , , , • i ■ ^ , , 



//-, trochanter; / IS shorter than the hmd wmgs. On the last seg- 



femur; t, tibia; ment there are various appendages, which are 



' ' mainly sexual in their nature. 



The Z-^^5. — Butterflies have six legs, arranged in three pairs, 



as we have already seen. Each leg consists of five parts, the 



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