BUTTERFLY 



102G 



BUTTERFLY 



horny covering the mysterious life changes 

 continue. The wings, the legs, the body all 

 are formed during this inactive period, which 

 lasts with some butterflies but a few 'weeks, 

 while with others it continues through the 

 winter. When it is completed the case splits 

 and out comes the imago, or perfect insect. 

 At first it looks little enough like an airy, 

 bright-hued butterfly, for its wings are soft, 

 colorless, and closely folded. But air and sun- 

 shine work a speedy miracle, and very soon 

 the "winged blossom, liberated thing" is ready 

 to float away among the "other flowers, still 

 held within the garden's fostering." 



As to how far these full-grown butterflies can 

 fly, there is little accurate information. Their 

 flight seems languid, almost lazy, but they 

 move swiftly enough to be difficult to capture 

 when on the wing. A few species, if they do 

 not find at hand the kind of plant food which 

 the larvae must have, migrate in search of it, 

 sometimes for a hundred miles or more. Many 

 of the long flights are not really flights at all 

 the insects are simply borne along by the wind, 

 as a milkweed seed or a winged maple seed 

 might be. 



Classification. Scientists have long names 

 for the different species of butterflies, and any 

 person who wishes to form a collection of any 

 value should make himself familiar with these 

 from some such publication as Holland's But- 

 terfly Book. Here, however, a less technical 

 classification will do. All the 650 species which 

 appear in the United States and Canada are 

 grouped in five families. 



(1) The greatest is the family of brush- 

 footed butterflies. Many of the most conspic- 

 uous and beautiful of the temperate-region 

 butterflies are of this family, for instance, the 

 familiar red-brown milkweed butterfly, or mon- 

 arch, the mourning cloak and the thistle but-, 

 terfly. 



(2) A second great class is the family of 

 so-called blues and coppers. These slender- 

 bodied insects have gossamer wings, in shim- 

 mering blue or coppery shades. Almost all of 

 them are small, and some, as the hairstreaks, 

 have little projections or tails on their hind 

 wings. 



(3) The, most familiar family contains the 

 white, sulphur and orange tips, to which belong 

 the roadside butterflies everywhere to be seen. 

 Varying shades, from the white of the cabbage 

 butterfly to deep sulphur, are to be found, and 

 the size of wing expansion ranges from an inch 

 to two and one-half inches. 



(4) The skippers make up a large family, but 

 not many species of it are familiarly seen. 

 Brown, blapkish or dull gray, these are for the 

 most part inconspicuous and small. 



(5) The most beautiful and striking of all 



are the large swallowtails, which are distin- 

 guished by the pronounced tails on their hind 

 wings. They are the largest of the butterflies, 

 and show many exquisite colors and markings, 

 black, yellow, greenish-white and even reds and 

 blues appearing on their gauzy wings. Espe- 

 cially admired Is the great black and yellow 

 tiger swallowtail, which is found almost every- 

 where in temperate North America. 



It is in South America that butterflies most 

 abound, and some of the tropic species are 

 among the most gorgeous of all insects. They 

 have not only brilliant colors but a great wing 

 expanse, some of them measuring eight or nine 

 inches across. 



Nature-Study Lessons. Few, if any, among 

 living things are more interesting and more 

 profitable for study than the butterfly in its 

 various stages. Many specimens can be found 

 in every part of the world; a little watchful- 

 ness and care will probably enable children to 

 secure several different kinds, either at home 

 or at school, under direction of parents or 

 teacher. The greater the difference, the more 

 valuable the specimens will be for study. 



The study of the life history of a butterfty 

 should properly begin with the egg. Unfortu- 

 nately the pupils may not always be able to 

 find eggs; in that case, they may begin with 

 the second, or caterpillar, stage. Teachers and 

 parents will find that the children will take a 

 lively interest in the development of the cater- 

 pillar. A caterpillar may be kept in a glass 

 case, set in a sunny place; if he is fed and 

 given a twig and leaves to which to attach his 

 chrysalis, the observer may soon see him spin 

 himself into his retreat and finally emerge a 

 perfect butterfly. Let the children keep a rec- 

 ord of daily observations of any changes they 

 may notice. Not only will they be interested 

 in the caterpillar, but they will, unknown to 

 themselves, be learning how to observe care- 

 fully and systematically. Incidentally there 

 will be found many opportunities to teach les- 

 sons of kindness. 



After the butterfly has been observed it 

 should be allowed to fly away, without being 

 touched with the fingers, for butterflies do no 

 harm, and they make all out-of-doors more 

 beautiful. 



Butterfly Collections. The mam'a to col- 

 lect- is a natural one in children, and butter- 

 flies have always been one of the favorite 

 objects of collectors. So far as possible un- 

 scientific collections should be discouraged, for 

 it is far better for the children to observe the 

 live insects. If, however, collections are to be 



