10 



sex. I think we can safely conclude it is not a scent organ, 

 though it may prove to be an organ of smell. This, I think, 

 disposes of the appendages of the head, the mandibles, so 

 prominent a feature of the caterpillar state, entirely 

 disappearing in that of the imago. 



We now come to the thorax. The three segments are 

 joined by a series of joints, which are wonderfully complex 

 in their structure, many partaking of- a crescent, with a 

 central footstalk. To each of the sternites are attached a 

 pair of legs ; the forelegs are the most \ ariable, and are 

 in other orders often of great physical value — for 

 instance, the comb and brush joint in the bees, which are 

 used for cleaning the antenna. This in the lepidoptera is 

 replaced by a hinged spur, the use of which is so far 

 unknown ; the legs are jointed, terminating in a pair of hooks 

 or claws. In some families of butterflies the forelegs have 

 become atrophid, and are apparently useless ; the toe claws 

 have disappeared, the entire leg being flattened and covered 

 with scales, and are pressed tightly against the forepart of 

 the thorax. 



At the junction of the tergite and sternite of the 

 first segment project the wings. 



The wings of lepidoptera are mostly unfolded, except 

 the hind wings of the Noctuid group and some of the 

 smaller groups, but in no instance do they assimilate the 

 beautiful fan-like arrangement of the earwig's hindwing, 

 which not only closes like a fan, but folds over with two 

 opposite joints. The folding is alleged to be done by the 

 callipers at the tail of the insect, but whether this is so 

 or not I have never had an opportunity of judging. To 

 return to lepidoptera wings. These on first emerging from 

 the pupa are small and crumpled, soft and flabby, but in a 

 few minutes they rapidly extend, and a further few minutes 

 serves to stiff^en the secretion, and leave them perfectly 

 rigid. For this process the newly-emerged insect crawls 

 to a place that will enable it to obtain a firm grasp, some- 

 times witli only the forelegs, sometimes with the first two 



