ii EvRorEAN Butterflies and Moths. 



graceful evolutions in the air and around flowers, have always caused tliem to be much admired by 

 lovers of the beauties of Nature. Almost every boy has hunted butterflies through the woods and 

 fields, or has reared silkworms or other moths, and been delighted to find the newly-emerged 

 insect in the box along with the empty pupa-case. And how often has the remembrance of these 

 youthful pleasures led elderly men to return to them, and cheer the evening of their lives by a 

 more scientific study of their early favourites ! The beauty and the wonderful transformations of 

 butterflies and moths have attracted attention and pleased the fancy from the most ancient times. 

 Men have even reverently traced in them the symbol of the soul, and afterwards of immortality ; 

 for there is a beautiful analogy between the graceful winged insect emerging from the dark, 

 motionless pupa, and the spirit leaving its mortal body and winging its flight to higher regions. 



THE PERFECT INSECT, OR IMAGO. 

 (Consult Plate I.) 



Sintctiirc. — The body of a butterfly or moth consists of three parts, called the head, thorax, 

 and abdomen, which are not always sharply separated. The head (Fig. i, /^) is attached to the front of 

 the thorax by a narrow membranous neck, and is perfectly movable. It is rounded, and generally 

 rather broader than long. The upper part is called the vertex (Fig. 2, scli), the more or less vertical 

 part in front the face (Fig. 2,gs), and the part between these two the forehead (Fig. 2, st). The two 

 large eyes (Figs, i, 2, and 3,^) are placed on the sides of the head. The feelers, or antennae, are 

 placed in two hollows, generally near the margins of the eyes, and are probably organs of smell 

 (Figs. I and 2,/). There are often two small, round, flat elevations, called simple eyes, or ocelli 

 (Figs. I and 2, no), behind the antennae. The mouth is placed on the lower side of the face ; its 

 upper part consists of the scarcely distinguishable triangular upper lip, the labrum (Fig. 3, f/), 

 on the sides of which the small projecting mandibles (Fig. Z,ok) are placed. Under these lies 

 the tongue, which consists of a hollow tube formed of two portions placed closely together, 

 but separable, through which the insect imbibes its food (Fig. 3, r). When the tongue is not in 

 use, it is rolled up in a spiral form close to the mouth. At its base are placed two small 

 organs called maxillary palpi (Fig. 3, «/). The mouth is terminated beneath by the lower lip, 

 or labium (Fig. 3, ill), which is generally heart-shaped, and upon which two projecting organs 

 called labial palpi, or simply palpi (Figs. 2 and 3,//), are placed. These vary in length in 

 difl"erent species, but always consist of three joints. The palpi enclose the tongue on both 

 sides, and, added to the scales of the face, generally cover the other parts of the mouth, so 

 that these cannot be examined until the palpi are removed. In many genera the maxillary 

 palpi are the only other organs which are externally visible. 



The tliorax properly forms the basis of the whole body, as the head is attached to it in 

 front, the abdomen behind, the wings at the sides, and the legs beneath. It is more or less 

 egg-shaped, and is often rather flattened above. Its lower side is called the pectus, or breast. 

 The thorax consists of three parts, corresponding to the second, third, and fourth segments of 

 the larva, which arc called respectively the pro-thorax, mcso-tltorax (Fig. i, >«;-), and mcta-tliorax 

 (Fig. \,ht), which are separated by fine sutures. The pro-thorax is visible above like a narrow 

 border to the meso-thorax, but becomes wider on the under surface, where the first pair of legs 

 are attached to it. The meso-thorax is very large, and divided longitudinally above. The 

 two fore-wings are attached beneath two thin plates called j-<r;r////,2? (Fig. i, i-r/), one on each side ; 

 and the middle pair of legs are attached to its under surface. The meta-thorax is short, and 

 generally consists of five small plates above. The hind-wings are attached to its sides, and 



