Inskcts.] 



MUSEUM OF ANIMATED NATURE. 



387 



tion of the Hemiptera in Latreille's system ; but 

 Leach. Stephens, and others, regard it as an order. 



The homopterous insects have the rostrum arising 

 out of the lower part of the head near the chest. 

 The elytra are almost always tectifoim and semi- 

 membranous — sometimes resembling the true or 

 unJer wings ; the head is large and broad ; the 

 antenns3 are minute ; the larvae are ametabolous ; 

 the perlect are furnished with an ovipositor. The 

 Homoptera feed on veselable juices. 



To this order belong the Cicadae, or tree-hoppers; 

 (he Fulgoridae, of which Fulgora laternaria is an 

 example ; the Cercopidae, or Cicadella; of Leach ; 

 the Thripida) ; the Aphidae ; and the Coccidae, or 

 gall-insects. 



Of the Cercopidae, vie select for illustration two 

 species of the genus Bocydium : — Fig. 3707, Bocy- 

 dmm galeritum ; Fig. 3708, Bocydium tintinnabu- 

 liferum. 



The Bocydium galeritum, so called from its 

 strange helmet, is a native of Brazil. The disc of 

 the thorax is elevated into a singular process, first 

 rising and then arching backwards, and broad at its 

 base and middle, whence it narrows to a point ; the 

 wings are transparent. 



The Bocydium tintinnabuliferum, or bell-bearer, 

 is even more grotesque ; its thorax is black and 

 glossy, the posterior part is elongated, and from the 

 disc arises a vertical appendage, at the top of which 

 is a slender tran^verse stem, bearing four peduncu- 

 lated little balls of a black colour, and covered with 

 fine hairs. It is a native of Brazil. 



Of the Aphidae we have already spoken. Fig. 

 3709 lepresents — a, the aphis of the elm, winged ; 

 b, the aphis of the willow, un winged. These are 

 constrasted with a dipterous insect, the common 

 gnat, c, with which some popular writers have con- 

 founded them. In the aphides the upper wings, or 

 elytra, completely resemble in texture the under 

 wings, and when closed form two sides of an angle, 

 like the high-ridged roof of a house. Many, how- 

 ever, are wingless. 



Trembley, Reaumur, Bonnet, Bazin, and others, 

 have conducted a series of experiments on these 

 insects with relerence to their productive powers, 

 which, indeed, are most wonderlul, and such as 

 without sutficient testimony we should hesitate to 

 be h eve. 



Bonnet selected a young aphis from the instant of 

 its birth, and placed it upon the leafy branch of a 

 spindle-tree (Euonymus). which he had most care- 

 fully and minutely examined to assure himself that 

 no other individual was upon it. Having fixed the 

 branch in a phial of water, he set it in a garden-pot 

 of mould, and covered the whole with a glass vessel, 

 the edges of which he buried in the mould. Not 

 Danae, in her tower of brass, was so etfectually se- 

 cured. This was dime on the 2uih of May, and day 

 afier day, hour by hour, from five in the morning 

 till nine or ten at night, he continued to watch the 

 imprisoned insect with a maguifying-glass. He 

 found that it changed its skin four times, and grew 

 like a caterpillar; and on the 1st of June it pro- 

 duced a living young one, and continued to produce 

 to the 22nd of the same month inclusive, giving 

 birth to ninety-five, all alive, and without ever 

 having paired. 



M. Bazin, who selected the aphis papaveris, and 

 the aphis rosae, for similar experiments, witnessed 

 the same reaulls. 



Trembley selected the aphis Sambuci — one young 

 aphis immediately alter birth : he placed it on a slip 

 of elder, and enclosing it in a glass tube, open at 

 both ends, plunged one end into water, and stopped 

 the other with cotton. The other he '.rcated in nearly 

 the same way. This took place on the 28th of 

 September : one on the 25th of November, the other 

 on the 281 h, began to produce young, and continued 

 at intervals, according to the temperature of the 

 atmosphere. 



Lyonnet and Reaumur verified by experiments 

 the observations of Bonnet and Bazin. 



Not content with his previous experiments, and 

 desirous to push them still fuither. Bonnet com- 

 menced a fresh series of the most careful observa- 

 tions, and demonstrated that at lea.st five genera- 

 tions of the aphis Sambuci may succeed each other, 

 the females never pairing ; and, indeed, had not he 

 failed in procuring fresh elder branches, as the win- 

 ter set in, he might have continued his operations 

 with further results ofthe>ame kind; indeed, with the 

 aphis of the oak he succeeded as far as the ninth 

 generation. Lyonnet conducted similar experi- 

 ments with the same results. In all these instances 

 living young were produced ; but it would appear 

 that after pairing the aphides produced eggs, or 

 rather a kind of pupa enclosed in a sort of capsule. 

 Kig. 3710 shows Trembley's mode of conducting his 

 experiment-*, and Fig. 3711 that of Reaumur. 



Lepidoptera. — The order Lepidoptera contains 



those beautiful insects known as butterflies and 



noths ; insects with a spiral tubular proboscis for 



trtracting the nectar of flowers, and four plumed or 



Vol. II. 



scaly wings. Latreille divides the Lepidoptera into 

 three great sections, viz., Diurna, Orepuscularia, 

 and Noclurna. 



The Diurna is composed of the butterflies, insects 

 which fly by day, and on which the antennae are 

 terminated by a knob or thickening. The anterior 

 margin of the posterior wings is simple, and the 

 wings are usually erect in a state of repose. 



The Orepuscularia are distinguished by being gra- 

 dually thicker from the base towards the extremity, 

 and forming a prismatic or fusiform club ; the ex- 

 treme tip is slender, pointed, and often recurved ; 

 the wings, when at rest, are horizontal, or slightly 

 inclined ; the posterior wings have a -rigid spine at 

 the anterior margin, which is received into a hook 

 on the under surface of the superior wings. These 

 insects are the sphinx-moths; they generally fly in 

 the morning, evening, and afternoon. 



The Nocturna have the antennae cetaceous, dimi- 

 nishing from the base to the point, and often plumed, 

 serrated, or pectinated, especially in the males. The 

 wings, during repose, are either horizontal or de- 

 flexed ; and, as in the Orepuscularia, the under 

 wings have a spine on their anterior margin, which 

 hooks into a corresponding groove of the upper 

 wings. In some few species the females are wing- 

 less : the larvae differ greatly in form. These 

 insects are the true moths, which fly at night, 

 after sunset, though to this rule there are excep- 

 tions. 



As examples of the butterfly and moth. Fig. 3712 

 represents — a, the marsh fritillary butterfly (Melitaea 

 artemis), and b, the six-spot Burnet moth i^Anthrocera 

 filipendula). Of the British Lepidoptera we have 

 several pictorial groups, illustrative of the general 

 charactei-s of these beautiful insects. 



Fig. 3713 represents the following species : — a, the 

 orange-tip butterfly {Pontia Cardamines) ; b, the 

 black-veined white or hawthorn butterfly (Pieris 

 Crataegi) ; c, the small white butterfly (Pontia 

 Rapae) ; d, the green-veined white butterfly (Pontia 

 Napi) ; e, the common cabbage butterfly (Pontia 

 Brassicae) ; f, the brimstone butterfly (Gonopteryx 

 Rhamni ; g, the pale-clouded yellow butterfly (Co- 

 lias Hyale). 



The orange-tip butterfly is tolerably common in 

 our island, frequenting the borders of woods and 

 lanes winding through a woodland but cultivated 

 district. It usually appears about the end of May ; 

 seldom in April. The sexes are very dissimilar. 



The small white butterfly bears, excepting in size, 

 a close resemblance to the common cabbage species, 

 from which, however, it is very distinct, as is proved 

 by their respective caterpillars. It is very common 

 and is one of the pests of the garden, laying its eggs 

 on cabbages, cauliflowers, &c. 



The green-veined white butterfly is -also ex- 

 tremely common, appearing first in May, and also in 

 July. It frequents gardens, laying its eggs on cab- 

 bages and other culinary vegetables. 



The common cabbage butterfly is well known, 

 as is also its caterpillar, the ravages of which in 

 the kitchen-garden are most annoying. 



The brimstone butterfly is one of the earliest that 

 make their appearance, and may be seen on the 

 wing flitting along the lanes and copses in the month 

 of March, when a bright sunny morning gives hope 

 of the " year confirmed." As the spring advances, 

 it becomes more common, and a second flight comes 

 forth in August. 



The male is of a pure sulphur-yellow above, 

 and in both sexes a small spot of orange occupies 

 the centre of each wing. The female is greenish 

 yellow above; the under side is paler than the 

 upper. 



The pale-clouded yellow butterfly is rare, and 

 found chiefly on the sea-coast in the counties of 

 Kent, Sussex, and Suffolk. A pale variety occurs 

 in the vicinity of Dover. Seldom has it been found 

 far from the sea. It is a fine species : the male is 

 usually of a rich sulphur-yellow, the female nearly 

 white : the upper wings are marked near the middle 

 with a black spot, and at their extremity have a 

 deep black border, almost divided by a series of 

 yellow spots into two. The under wings have a 

 large orange spot in the centre : beneath, the upper 

 winps are whitish yellow, orange -stained at the tip, 

 with a black ring-spot enclosing a yellow centre 

 near the middle, and with a row of small dusky 

 marks at some distance from the outer margin. The 

 lower wings beneath are dull orange with a large 

 and a small silvery spot in the centre surrounded 

 with rust red, and a curved row of small black spots. 

 Fringe of the wing roseate. 



Fig. 3714 represents — a, the clouded yellow butter- 

 fly, Colias Edusa (male), contrasted with the pale- 

 clouded butterfly (female), Colias Hyale. 



Fig. 3715 represents — 1, the swallow-tail butter- 

 fly (Papilio Machaon) ; 2, the purple emperor, or 

 highflyer (.Apatura Iris) ; 3, the orange Argus, or 

 wall butterfly (Hipparchia Megaera) ; 4, the great 

 tortoiseshell butterfly (Vanessa Polychloros) ; 5, 

 the small tortoiseshell butterfly (Vanessa Urticic) 



6, the red admiral (Vanessa Atalanta) ; 7, the pea 

 cock's eye (Vanessa lo). 



The swallow-tail butterfly (Papilio Machaon), 

 though by no means so rare as its ally the P. Poda- 

 lirius, which indeed can scarcely be called a British 

 butterfly, is yet by no means generally abundant. 

 It has never been observed in Scotland, and seldom 

 in the northern English counties. On the Continent 

 it is not unfrequent, and is abundant in Syria an/1 

 Egypt, as well as in several parts of France, Italy, 

 &c. It does not appear on the wing in our island 

 till the beginning of June. 



Of all our indigenous butterflies this is the largest ; 

 the female, which, as usual, exceeds the male in 

 size, not unfrequently measuring three inches and a 

 half in expanse of wings. Its flight is powerful. 

 The general colour of the wings is black, powdered 

 with yellow, and relieved by bold yellow markings, 

 which colour indeed is spread over the basal half 

 of the hinder wings. From the posterior margin of 

 these projects an acute slip, which may be com- 

 pared to the outer tail-feathers of the swallow, and 

 at each inner corner is an ocellated spot of red, with 

 an anterior crescent of light blue ; the whole nea'''y 

 surrounded by a ring of black. 

 The purple emperor, or highflyer (Apatora Iris). 

 It is only in the oak-woods of the more southern 

 counties of our island that this splendid butterfly 

 appears, and that not in abundance ; it has been 

 styled " the purple emperor of the British oak ;" 

 and if beauty, strength of wing, fearlessness, and a 

 lofty, bold, and vigorous flight entitle it to pre- 

 eminence, it certainly stands at the head of our 

 native butterflies. It seldom makes its appearance 

 before the month of July, and may then be seen 

 during the middle of the day, while the sun glows 

 with meridian effulgence, soaring on rapid wings 

 high over the summits of the tallest oaks, on the 

 topmost twigs of which it settles for repose towards 

 the approach of evening. 



The wings of this species are firm in texture ; 

 their general colour above is dark brown, changing 

 in certain lights into rich purplish blue of metallic 

 lustre, and relieved by marks of white. On the 

 hinder wings near the inner angle is a small black 

 spot surrounded by red ; under surface of wings rust 

 brown varied with white and black ; an ocellated 

 spot on both. The caterpillar is pale green, with 

 horns reddish at the tip. It feeds on the oak, 

 willow, and ash. 



The orange Argus, or wall butterfly (Hipparchia 

 Megaera). 



This butterfly is by no means uncommon, and is 

 very generally spread, appearing from May to 

 August ; it flits lightly and rapidly from one 

 resting-place to another, expanding its wings to 

 the sun. 



The fore-wings are orange-yellow, inclining to 

 brown, marbled and banded along the edges with 

 dark brown. Near the outer angle an ocellated 

 spot of white with a black ring. Hinder wings with 

 a row of spots, from three to five in number, in a 

 crescentic Hue near the outer margin; the edge 

 banded with brown. The caterpillar is haii-y, ofa 

 light green, a whitish line running along each side. 

 The great toitoiseshell butterfly (Vanessa poly- 

 chloros). 



It is principally in the southern counties of our 

 island that this butterfly makes its appearance, and 

 usually about the middle of July. On the Continer.t 

 it is common, more particjularly in the mare south- 

 ern districts. It is rapid on tne wrng, and often 

 settles on dry pathways and the trunks of trees, 

 delighting in the fervent rays of the sun. The 

 wings are angulated, and often measure upwards of 

 two inches and a half in extent; their colour above 

 is dark orange-red, with a narrow vandyked edging 

 of blue, and a second of black ; the fore-wings are 

 marked anteriorly with abbreviated bands of black, 

 and spots of the same colour about the centre ; the 

 hinder wings have a large spot of black near the 

 middle of the anterior margin. 



The caterpillar of this species is gregarious, spiny, 

 and of a brownish tint, with a lateral stripe of 

 orange ; the spines are slightly branched and yel- 

 lowish. Collected in groups, the caterpillars weave 

 webs, while very young, in the branches of various 

 trees, as the willow, elm, and cherry, for their pro- 

 tection ; but disperse after they have once or twice 

 changed their skin. 



The great tortoiseshell butterfly is closely related 

 to the small tortoiseshell (V. Xlrticae), one of the 

 most common of our British species, and of which 

 the caterpillar, of a blackish colour, with yellow 

 stripes, is found in abundance on the nettle. 



The small tortoiseshell butterfly (Vanessa Ur- 

 ticsB, &c), abundant not only in England, but on the 

 adjoining continent, is conspicuous for its beauty 

 and the lightness with which it flits from flower 

 to flower. Two broods occur every year — one 

 early in spring, the other in autumn. 



In Italy this butterfly continues on the wing 

 during the winter, in fine weather ; and in our 



3D2 



