106 THE EVOLUTIONIST AT LARGE. 



that I may be lucky enough to catch a glimpse 

 of one or two old lepidopterous favourites. 

 I am not a butterfly-hunter myself. I have 

 not the heart to drive pins through the pretty 

 creatures' downy bodies, or to stifle them 

 with reeking chemicals ; though I recognise 

 the necessity for a hardened class who will 

 perform that useful office on behalf of science 

 and society, just as I recognise the necessity 

 for slaughtermen and knackers. But I prefer 

 personally to lie on the ground at my ease 

 and learn as much about the insect nature as 

 I can discover from simple inspection of the 

 living subject as it flits airily from bunch to 

 bunch of bright-coloured flowers. 



I suppose even that apocryphal person, 

 the general reader, would be insulted at being 

 told at this hour of the day that all bright- 

 coloured flowers are fertilised by the visits of 

 insects, whose attentions they are specially 

 designed to solicit Everybody has heard 

 over and over again that roses, orchids, and 

 columbines have acquired their honey to 



