n BUTTERFLIES 



and the newly released legs quickly grasp hold of the empty 

 skin as well as of the support to which it is attached. It 

 then hangs downward with a very large abdomen and 

 with the wings more or less crumpled up, but decidedly 

 larger than when they were confined within the chry^salis. 

 The wings, however, soon begin to lengthen as they are 

 stretched out, probably through the filling of the space by 

 the body juices. Commonly, the hind pair of wings be- 

 come full size before the front ones. In a short time the 

 wings attain their full size, the abdomen becomes smaller, 

 through the discharge of a liquid called meconium, and the 

 butterfly is Hkely to walk a few steps to a better position 

 where it will rest quietly for an hour or two while body and 

 wing tissues harden. After this it is likely to fly away to 

 lead the free life of a butterfly. (See plate, page 16.) 



These changes from larva to chrysalis and from chrysalis 

 to adult in the case of the Monarch Butterfly are illus- 

 trated on the plates opposite pages 32-33. A little 

 study of these photographs from life will help greatly to an 

 understanding of the process. 



Some very interesting observations have been made by 

 Mr. J. Alston Moffat upon the method of the expansion 

 of the wings. In summarizing his investigations he 

 writes : 



" When a wing is fully expanded, and for an hour or two 

 after, the membranes can be easily separated. Entrance 

 for a pin-point between them is to be found at the base of 

 the wing where the subcostal and median nervures come 

 close together. The membranes are united at the costal 

 and inner edges, which have to be cut to get them apart; 

 but they are free at the outer angle. At that time the 

 nervures are in two parts, half in one membrane and half 



