158 SPOTTED SKIPPER. 



This Skipper is about an inch and a quarter in the expansion 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 seen 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 antennse 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 chrj'salis is of a dull grey colour. 



The plate is from specimens in the cabinet of the Rev. 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 with 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 animalculae 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 difi'erent 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 in all probability the sun is but the centre of one system, and 

 that there may be others, perhaps countless others, in comparison with 

 some even of which ours may be insignificant, revolving each in their 

 prescribed orbits in the regions of infinite space. There is indeed a 

 "Music of the spheres," which is heard by the soul alone, and it sings 

 the power of Him who is the Eternal, the Almighty, and with its 

 silent voice invites us to join in its harmony with the unspoken and 

 unutterable language of the heart. "And these are but parts of His 



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