SPOTTED SKIPPER. KiT 



of the wings. The fore ones are of a rich dark brown ground 

 colour, spotted horizontally and transversely, with large black 

 spots, and a wide black border on the outer side, with a faint 

 row of dull small orange dots following the margin, which is 

 dull pale fulvous. The transverse bar of spots has two, which 

 would otherwise complete it, pushed "out of their propriety," 

 towards the outside edge. The hind wings, which are of the 

 same ground colour, have some large round similar orange spots 

 on their middle, and an irregular row of smaller ones outside 

 them; the margin, pale dull fulvous. 



Underneath, the ground colour is tawny yellow on the fore 

 wings, the dark marks shewing obscurely and partially through. 

 The lower wings are of a dull greenish cast, some of the spots 

 shewing through of a dull pale buff colour, and others being- 

 added near the front edge, and the row near the border being 

 larger. The antenna? on the lower side are bright orange. 



The female resembles the male. 



The caterpillar is dark brown on the back, with two yellow 

 stripes on the sides; the head is black, and there is an orange 

 ring round the neck. 



The chrysalis is of a dull grey colour. 



The plate is from specimens in the cabinet of the Eev. 

 William Bree. 



Small as this butterfly is, and insignificant indeed as every 

 insect may by some be thought to be, unworthy of serious 

 attention, yet, when we come to regard it Avith reference to 

 other creatures, we shall see reason for thinking far otherwise; 

 for, to say nothing of its wonderful organization and wonderful 

 beauty, it holds, in truth, a comparatively high place in creation. 

 Thus Ehrenberg informs us that there are some of the animalcula? 

 so minute, that five hundred millions of them might be contained 

 in one of the drops of water which do, we know, actually 

 contain such numbers of strange and different species of living- 

 beings. The microscope reveals to us wonders in one way 

 equally great with those which the telescope brings home through 

 the eye to the mind in another, even though the latter, with 

 its still limited power, shews us that i]i all probability the sun 



