60 LIFE IN THE INSECT WORLD. 



feathery scales which forms the beauty of the 

 butterfly ; and when they are rubbed off, the 

 wings are gauze-like and transparent as those 

 of the common fly. 



Leuwenhoek, who, by means of a powerful 

 microscope, has made many interesting obser- 

 vations and discoveries, counted upwards of 

 four hundred thousand scales upon the wings 

 of the silk worm moth, which, you know, is 

 quite a small insect compared with many of our 

 butterflies. 



We will now go back to caterpillars, as I 

 want you to know what ingenious little crea- 

 tures they are. 



All caterpillars have the power of spinning 

 silk from their bodies of different fineness and 

 color, generally white, yellow, black, brown, or 

 gray, which they use for various purposes. If a 

 caterpillar sees a bird approaching, or if it 

 is in danger of being blown off a tree by 

 a gust of wind, it throws out one of these silken 

 threads and drops gently to the ground ; and 

 when the danger is over, it sometimes draws 

 itself up by the same thread, arid takes its place 

 again upon the branch. But the silk is particu- 



