NATURE STUDY LESSONS. 199 



The most abundant butterflies, those which are to be 

 seen along every roadside and in ev^ery field in summer, 

 are of medium size, and are white, j^ellow or orange, usu- 

 ally more or less marked with black. Some of these but- 

 terflies have long been known to people living in the coun- 

 try as "the Whites," and others as " the Yellows," ac- 

 cording to the prevailing color. None is ever verj- large, 

 like the swallow-tails, and none is very small, like the 

 blues and the coppers.. Besides, they always have six 

 legs of about equal size, and they use all of them when 

 clinging to a support or walking. IvCarn to observe but- 

 terflies at rest, and notice which have six legs and which 

 seem to have only four. The swallow-tails have six legs, 

 but they are all large ; medium-sized white or yellow but- 

 terflies may safely be labeled with the family name, Pieri- 

 dae. 



The ' ' Coppers ' ' and the ' ' Blues ' ' are known to all 

 boys and girls. They are small butterflies, vyith slender 

 bodies and bright-colored wings. There are nearl)- alwa^^s 

 white rings on the antennae. They are not easily caught, 

 and will often lead a spr}^ boy on a lively chase. They are 

 also rather difficult to mount properly, because their wings 

 are very delicate. When finally ready for the box, they 

 should be labeled lyycsenidse, which is the family name 

 scientists have agreed to call them by. 



The members of the largest family of butterflies use on- 

 ly four of their legs. The fore legs are so small that they 

 are useless, and are folded on the breast, looking like a 

 little tippet. These four-footed butterflies all belong to 

 the great family Nymphalidae. 



One of the largest of this family is the Monarch, or 

 Milk-weed Butterfly. It is slow and graceful in flight, and 

 one of the most beautiful objects in our fields and pastures. 

 The wings are light brown, with the veins and borders 

 black, with two rows of white spots. The upper surface 



