Skippers 187 



are very much like the antennas of the Sphinxes or 

 hawk moths, and for lack of any rule to the con- 

 traiy we will consider them the " missing link " 

 between the true butterfly and the miller. If they 

 are not, then the link is really missing. 



The only serious objection to butterflies, as ob- 

 jects of study, is the difficulty in keeping them 

 alive. When one confines them in the house, they 

 have a foolish way of fluttering on the v/indow 

 pane or beating their beautiful wings to rags on 

 the window screens. They make splendid objects 

 to preserve and are beautiful in form, texture and 

 color ; they add to the beauty of a collection and when 

 alive add to the sentiment and beauty of the past- 

 ure, the meadow and the garden as they flutter 

 in the air, but their children's energies are all ex- 

 pended in an effort to destroy the beauties of 

 nature. As caterpillars, nothing has a value to 

 them but food for themselves. 



We cannot keep butterflies in the greenhouse 

 unless we are careful to secure only males, other- 

 wise the insects will deposit eggs upon our plants 

 and transform the greenliouse into a caterpillar 

 farm. 



But when we come to the next sub-division of 



