92 EVENINGS AT THE SnCKOSCOPE. 



You will say that what I am about to show jou is a 

 lovely object ; but for its right display I must use a 

 low magnifying powder, — not higher than a hundred 

 diameters, — with the Lieberkulm to reflect the light of 

 the miiTor full upon the surface. It is a small frag- 

 ment cut from the wing of Papilio Paris, showing 

 several rows of the scales in their natural arrangement. 

 The gemmeous radiance of the glittering green scales 

 on the black ones, by which they are environed, glares 

 out wath a splendid efl'ect ; and what is more interest- 

 ing, you can trace the manner in wdiich they are set, 

 — those of each row slightly overlapping the bases 

 of another row, like slates on a roof, — and also the 

 mode in wdiicli they are inserted. The clear horn-col- 

 oured membrane of the wing is seen raised in shallow 

 transverse steps (if I may use such a term) so that if 

 it were divided longitudinally, the edge would ap- 

 pear cut into saw-like teeth. Along the margins of 

 these ridges are set minute sockets, wdiich are very 

 distinctly seen, where the scales have been displaced ; 

 in these the tiny footstalks of the scales are inserted. 



The little Beetles wdiich we are familiar with under 

 the name of Weevils, characterised by their long slender 

 snouts, at the end of wdiich they carry curiously folding 

 antenuffi, and which constitute the family, CurculioniddE-. 

 are in many cases clothed w^ith scales, to which the}' 

 OAve their colours and patterns. Several of our native 

 species display a green or silvery lustre, which under 

 rlie microscope is seen to be produced by oval scales. 

 Jhit these are eclipsed by the splendour of many trop- 

 ical species ; especially that w^ell-knowm one from South 

 America, which is called the Diamond Beetle, and 

 scientifically Entimus imperialism from its unparalleled 

 magnificence. 



