24 



to the propulsion of air into these vessels or tubes hy which 

 they are dilated to their fullest extent; the wing now 

 rapidly becomes dry and hard during this period, and while 

 hanging down the points nearly touch at the tip, but as 

 soon as they arq dry they take their natural position, ac- 

 cording to the habit of the insect. This operation lasts 

 from half an hour to two hours. 



■We will now examine some of the new or altered struc- 

 tures we meet with in the perfect insect. 



1. The trunk or proboscis. This takes the place of the 

 old mandibles, the parts where these were situated send out 

 two long tapering processes, hollow or concave on the inner 

 side. These processes uniting form a tube through which 

 the insect can suck up the honey and nectar from the flower 

 cup ; when at rest this tube curls up like a watch spring. 



2. The antennte. These are two beautifully urti- 

 culated objects, projecting from the back part of the head, 

 immediately above the eyes. Of what use they are to the 

 insect, or what function they perform, we are quite in the 

 dark. They serve one purpose, however, to assist us in our 

 classification. They terminate in a knob, with a point, or 

 are tapering. The first belongs to the day flying insects or 

 butterflies, the second to ttie sphingidoe or evening lovers, 

 the third to the night roving species or moths. This divi- 

 sion is pretty correct as far as it goes, yet some sphingidoe 

 fly by day as well as by night. The little humming bird, 

 Macroglossa Stellatarum, we often see hovering over a 

 flower, especially in the chalky districts ; and the beautiful 

 convolvulus hawk, I have never captured but after dark. 

 Several moths also fly by day, the pretty and common 

 moth, Plusia gamma, is a good example. The shape 

 of the antennae apparently differs but little among the 

 diurnae or butterflies, nor even very much in thesphingidce; 

 but among the moths there is greater variety ; some are 

 beautifully pencilled, some are triangular, some like a 

 tapering, pointed hair. The antennae of the females is 

 generally more slender. 



