TONGUES OF INSECTS. G07 



a delicate "buff colour. The egg of the Shark ]\{oth (Cit- 

 cullia Umbratica), Xo. 127, is subcoiiical in form, with 

 ribs and cross-bars passing up from a flattened base to the 

 summit, and turning over to form the lid. No. 136, the 

 Egg of Blue Argus Butterfly [Polyomonatus Argus). That 

 of the Small Emerald Moth (Jodis Venaina), No. 134, is 

 an Qgg of singular form and beauty, — an oval, flattened on 

 both sides, of silvery iridescence, and covered throughout 

 with minute reticulations and dots. It is particularly 

 translucent, so much so that the yellow-brown worm is 

 readily seen curled up within. The lid or micropyle is 

 not detected until the caterpillar eats its way out of the 

 shell. It should be stated that the whole series of eggs 

 in the plate are considerably over-coloured, and conse- 

 quently lose much of their beautiful transparency. The 

 eggs of Flies and Parasites also present much variety in 

 form, colour, and construction. Many of their esss are 

 provided with a veritable lid, which opens up with a hinge- 

 like articulation. The cover is shown in Plate VI. No. 

 144, Egg of Bot-fly, from which the larva is seen just 

 escaping ; No. 146, Egg of Scatophaga ; No. 147, Egg of 

 Parasite of Magpie. ^ 



Moths and Butterflies supply the micro scopist with 

 some of the most beautiful objects for examiiiation. What 

 can be more wonderful in its adaptation than the antenna 

 of the Moth, represented in fig. 271, No. 1, with a thin, 

 finger-like extremity almost supplying the insect witli a 

 perfect and useful hand, moved throughout its extent by 

 a muscular apparatus of the most exquisite construction ! 

 The tongue of Butterfly, No. 2, is evidently made for the 

 purpose of dipping into the interior of flowers and extracting 

 the juices ; this is furnished with a spiral band of muscle : 

 an enlarged view of a portion is given at No. 3. See also 

 Plate YI. Nos. 132 and 133, Antennae of Vapour Moth. 



The inconceivably delicate structure of the maxillae or 

 tongues (for there are two) of the Butterfly, rolled up like 

 the trunk of an elephant, and capable, like it, of every 

 variety of movement, has been carefully examined and 

 described by Mr, Newport. " Each maxilla is convex on 



(1) A paper on the Eggs of Insects, giving many other forms, will be found in 

 the Intdkctual Observer, Oct. 1867. 



