BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS. 69 



CHAPTER IIL 



OF BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS. 



IT has been already shown, that all Butterflies 

 are bred from caterpillars ; and we have exhi- 

 bited the various circumstances of that surprising 

 change. It has been remarked, that butterflies 

 may be easily distinguished from flies of every 

 other kind by their wings ; for, in others, they 

 are either transparent, like gauze, as we see in 

 the common flesh fly ; or they are hard and 

 crusted, as we see in the wings of the beetle. 

 But in the butterfly, the wings are soft, opaque, 

 and painted over with a beautiful dust that comes 

 off with handling. 



The number of these beautiful animals is very 

 great; and though Linngeus has reckoned up 

 above seven hundred and sixty different kinds, 

 the catalogue is still very incomplete. Every col- 

 lector of butterflies can show undescribed species ; 

 and such as are fond of minute discovery, can here 

 produce animals that have been examined only 

 by himself. In general, however, those of the 

 warm climates are larger and more beautiful than 

 such as are bred at home ; and we can easily ad- 

 mit the beauty of the butterfly, since we are thus 

 freed from the damage of the caterpillar. It has 

 been the amusement of some to collect these 

 animals from different parts of the world, or to 

 breed them from caterpillars at home. These 

 they arrange in systematic order, or dispose so 



