BUTTERFLY CRADLES, 3 



the creature lives, and has lived, in the stages preceding 

 its present airy form. 



In like manner with other insects, all butterflies com- 

 mence their existence enclosed in minute eggs; and these 

 eggs, as if shadowing forth the beauty yet undeveloped 

 whose germ they contain, are themselves such curi- 

 ously beautiful objects, that they must not be passed 

 over without admiring notice. It seems, indeed, as it 

 nature determined that the ornamental character of the 

 butterfly should commence with its earliest stage ; 

 form, and not colour, being employed in its decoration, 

 sculpture being here made the forerunner of painting. 



Some of these forms are roughly shown on Plate II. 

 (figs. 1 — 7), but highly magnified; for as these eggs 

 are really very tiny structures, such as would fall easily 

 through a pin-hole, the aid of a microscope is of course 

 necessary to render visible the delicate sculpture that 

 adorns their surface. The egg (fig. 1, Plate II.) of the 

 common Garden white butterfly (Pieris Brassicoe) is 

 among the most graceful and interesting of these forms, 

 and also the most easily obtained. It reminds us of 

 some antique vessel, ribbed and fluted with consummate 

 elegance and regularity. 



Others — such as those of the Large Heath butterfly 

 (fig. 3), and the Queen of Spain Fritillary (fig. 2), simu- 

 late curious wicker-work baskets. The Peacock butter- 

 fly has an egg like a polygonal jar (fig. 4), while that of 

 its near ally, the large Tortoise-shell (fig. 5), is simply 

 pear-shaped, with the surface unsculptured and smooth 

 b2 



