L E P I D O P T E R A. 



owing to these species having a double layer of scales 

 on both sides of the wing, the under layer usually 

 consisting 1 of white scales. On denuding a wing- of 

 its scales, the points in which they were inserted are 

 dearly to be perceived in the form of minute dots. 

 Of the number of these scales it would be difficult to 

 give a correct idea in the various species ; Leuwcn- 

 hoeck,however,states that there are more than 400,000 

 on the wings of the moth of the silkworm. In some spe- 

 cies of lepidoptera, however, the wings are more or less 

 vitreous, and consequently denuded of scales, or have 

 but a few of them ; and in others certain portions of 

 the wing exhibit small transparent patches similarly 

 denuded, as in the great atlas moth. In many species 

 scales exhibit metallic tints, which, indeed, in some 

 exotic butterflies, are so exceedingly resplendent, 

 that in the bright light of the sun it is almost impos- 

 sible to look upon them. In like manner several of 

 our fritillary butterflies, and especially Lathonia, or 

 the queen of Spain, has the under surface of the lower 

 wings adorned with beautiful silvery spots. " How 

 this remarkable effect of metallic lustre is produced 

 seems not to have engaged the attention of entomo- 

 logists. M. Audebert is of opinion that the similar 

 lustre of the plumes of the humming birds (TrocMlus) 

 is owing to their density, to the polish of their surface, 

 and to the great number of little minute concave 

 mirrors which are observable on their little beards. 

 (Nouv. Diet. d'Hist. Nat., viii. 257). But these ob- 

 servations will not apply to the scales of the wings of 

 the butterflies, which are always very thin, and very 

 flat ; in some instances, as in Morpho Mcnelaus, 

 there appears more than one very slight channel upon 

 a scale, but this takes place also in others that reflect 

 no lustre. Their metallic hues must therefore prin- 

 cipally be occasioned by the high polish of their 

 surface and the richness of their tints. It is the purity 

 of the white, in conjunction with their shining surface, 

 contrasted with the dull opaque colour of the under 

 side of the secondary wings, that causes the spots 

 that decorate those of the fritillaries to emulate the 

 lustre of silver." (Introd. to Ent., vol.iii., p. 652). 

 The curious apparatus, consisting of a loop and a 

 strong bristle, whereby the two wings on each side 

 are retained together, is found in many of these 

 insects, and indeed is not met with in anv other order. 

 The loop is formed either by an elevated portion of 

 the membrane of the strong- central nerve of the 

 upper wing, or by a little tuft of raised hairs. M. 

 Poey has observed that it is simple in the males but 

 multiplied in the females, so that it furnishes a good 

 character to distinguish the sexes. In our article 

 CATOCALA we have made some general observations 

 upon the distribution of colours in insects, whence it 

 will be evident that it is in the day-flying species that 

 we are to expect the greatest variety of tints ; and 

 hence it is, amongst the butterflies especially, as every 

 one knows, that the most splendid hues and the most 

 beautiful markings exist. Moreover it is to be ob- 

 served that here, as in some tribes of plants, certain 

 tints prevail in particular groups ; thus the Pontia; 

 and Pierides are generally white ; Co/ias and its allies 

 yellow; Pitlymnmatm blue; Argynnis and Mclitcca 

 yellow or buff, spotted with black, &c. ; in like man- 

 ner peculiar markings prevail in certain groups, so 

 that in many cases it is easy, by merely examining a 

 fragment of one of their wings, to ascertain the tribe 

 of which the insect to which it belonged formed part. 

 .Thus in Doritis the centre of the wings have large eyes, 



with red and black circles. In Cohan the centre of 

 the posterior wings on the inferior surface has a silvery 

 eyelet ; the species of Danais, Idcea, and Euplcea, 

 have the breast and head spotted with white, and in 

 Acrcca the base of the wing is more or less spotted 

 with black. 



The form of the wings is very much varied, pre- 

 serving, however, in the species of the various groups 

 a certain resemblance in form ; but this, however, 

 must not be alone regarded, for amongst the strange 

 freaks of nature we find many groups widely apart, 

 and belonging in fact to different primary sections in 

 the order, exhibiting so great a resemblance together, 

 not only in appearance, but even its habitats and 

 habits, that an unaccustomed eye would be tempted 

 to assert that the individuals formed but a single spe- 

 cies. Thus Geometra dealbata flies about the foot- 

 paths in woods, with Pontia napi. In the woods of 

 Brazil, Acreea Thalia (a butterfly) and Caslnia acrceoides 

 (a moth) fly together ; and in the thick forests of 

 Guiana Castma Units and Heliconia psidii, are con- 

 founded together whilst on the wing. In like manner 

 Castma cronu of Surinam was actually described by 

 Cramer as the female of Papilio cronis. Analogies 

 equally strong exist amongst the species contained 

 in the separate sections ; thus Euterpe teria, belong- 

 ing to the Pierides, was actually placed, by Latreille 

 and Godart, in the genus Papilio, to some of which, 

 in its black wings and red spots, it bears so great a 

 resemblance. Another and still more remote species 

 of analogy exists between some lepidoptera and the 

 insects belonging to other orders ; thus the species 

 of Sesia and JEgeria so much resemble some bees 

 and wasps that they have obtained the names of 

 wasp, hornet, and bee-sphinxes ; and indeed we find 

 such an author as Professor Bradley so far deficient 

 upon this subject as to admit into his work a quota- 

 tion to the following effect : " There are gradual 

 alterations from a perfect moth to the bee kind ; and 

 indeed, if we examine the 26th plate, we may find a 

 just proportion from one to the other. The antennae 

 of all are alike, and their bodies are just different 

 enough to be distinguished from one another." The 

 figures referred to representing the Macrnglossa 

 stellatarum (the humming-bird sphinx), 7'roc/iilinm 

 fusifornc (the narrow bordered bee-sphinx), TrochUinm 

 bombytiforme (the narrow-bordered ditto), and Bombiis 

 terrestris (the humble bee), of which last the antennae 

 are blameably made like those of the preceding insect, 

 that they may the better correspond with the text ! 

 The species of Algeria have, in like manner, received 

 a series of names, illustrating their striking analogy 

 with many other insects of different orders ; thus we 

 have JEgeria Tipuliformis, jEger. Chrysidiformu, &c., 

 and the Glaucopis coarctata, in the coarctate form of 

 its abdomen, exhibits a strong resemblance to an 

 Ichneumon. As to the analogies between the 

 lepidoptera and other more distinct tribes of animals, 

 it will suffice to state, that the humming-bird moth, 

 and many other sphingidse or hawk-moths, have ob- 

 tained these names from this kind of resemblance, 

 whilst some of the larger exotic moths, and especially 

 the gigantic Brazilian Erebus, which measures nearly 

 a foot across the wings, have markings on their wings, 

 which have induced the name of Strut (owl) to be 

 applied to the last-named insect ; and every 

 school-boy knows that the name owlets or owlards fs 

 given to large pale-coloured thick-bodied moths, such 

 as the puss moth, which fly about in the twilight. 



