Trar^sactions. 63 



also feed under the protection of a tent ; they hang their silk 

 on the leaves of the Plantain and other low plants, and keep 

 together till they are nearly full fed, when they leave their 

 tents and each goes his own way. The Spinneret already 

 alluded to is seated beneath the horny lower lip or labium 

 and the two first legs, and appears in the form of a conical 

 protuberance, from which two long tortuous tubes extend down 

 the body of the larva. These tubes have a very important 

 function to perform ; they separate the silk from the juices of 

 the body in the form of a gummy fluid, arid while it is drawn 

 through the aparture hardens into threads. Such is the silk 

 of the Silkworm. The duration of the Pupa or Chrysalis 

 stage varies in different species according to temperature 

 and often in the same species, which is a very wise provision, 

 as it respects the safety of the matured insect. Butterflies 

 have at all times been special favourites with Painters and 

 Poets. From the Butterfly the poet draws many a fine simili- 

 tude, and the morahst many a solomn lesson, and the artist, 

 who should be both poet and moralist, might draw from the 

 study of the butterfly wing many a pleasant theme for pencil 

 and brush. It is a well known fact that many great names 

 both in science and art have been enthusiastic collectors of 

 butterflies. I might cite many examples. I will give one 

 well known case, that of Stothard the painter. Once when he 

 was beginning to paint the figure of a reclining Sylph, a 

 difiiculty arose in his mind how best to represent such a 

 being of fancy. A friend, who was present, said, give the 

 Sylph a Butterfly wing and then you have it. That I will, 

 exclaimed Stothard, and to be correct I will paint the wing 

 from the butterfly itself He sallied forth, extended his walk 

 to the fields, some miles distant, and caught one of those 

 beautiful insects called the Peacock. Our artist brought it 

 very carefully home, and commenced sketching it, but not 

 in the painting room, and leaving it on the table a servant 

 swept it away before its portrait was finished. On learning 

 his loss, away went Stothard once more to the fields to seek 

 another Butterfly : this time one of the tortoise-shell tribe 



