6 



BEITISH BUTTEEFLIES AND MOTHS 



This chrysalis remains perfectly quiescent and in- 

 active for two or three weeks at least, sometimes for 

 months, and then the skin of the chrysalis cracking 

 towards the anterior part, there crawls out from within, 

 the imprisoned butterfly or moth. 



At first, though in all other respects perfect and well- 

 shapen, the wings are extremely small, the legs are full 

 size, so are the antennae, but the wings are no bigger 

 than the small space which they had occupied whilst 

 the insect was still inside the chrysalis skin ; but the 

 butterfly or moth crawls to some object, where it can 

 place itself in such a position that the wings can hang- 

 down, when they very speedily grow, and in the space 

 of an hour or less they are fully developed, and we see 

 the butterfly or moth in its perfect or imago state. 



Nearly all butterflies and moths when in the cater- 

 pillar state feed on the green leaves of living plants ; 

 hence it is necessary that the parent butterfly or moth 

 should deposit her eggs either 

 on the very leaves that the 

 young larvae will eat, or in 

 their immediate vicinity so 

 that the young caterpillars may 

 find food ready at hand when 

 they emerge from the eggs. 



Having stated the rule of life 

 of a Lepidopterous insect, it may 

 be well to furnish a few special 

 instances as examples, and first 

 let us glance at the metamor- 

 phoses of Pieris brassica?, the 

 Large White Butterfly. 



The parent butterfly deposits 



Fig. 5.-1 

 bragnicee ; 



ditt 



of Pieris 

 tto, Vanessa 

 3, ditto, V. polychlorosa ; 

 1, ditto, Selenia ilhuiaria, all 

 highly magnified. 



