68 THE BUTTERFLY. 



family, and are intimately allied to forms now 

 living ; portions only of the legs are preserved on 

 such specimens as have been found ; but while 

 the evidence is certainly negative, it should at 

 least be remarked that there is no indication that 

 the condition of the fore-legs of these ancient 

 creatures differed in any way from that of their 

 allies of to-day ; so we are forced to believe that 

 in exploring the rocks we have not begun to 

 reach the early forms of butterfly life. 



We come now to the consideration of the wings 

 of butterflies. Not to mention for the moment 

 their exquisite beauty, they possess a deep inter- 

 est in that they are totally new structures, and 

 the first we have met in our review of the charac- 

 teristics of the perfect insect. The parts we have 

 before examined tongue, palpi, eyes, antennae, 

 legs though very different indeed from the 

 organs of the caterpillar, have nevertheless been 

 represented in it by corresponding parts ; while 

 we should look there in vain for any external 

 trace of wings. The mode of their origin we shall 

 mention later, since, strange to say, it must be 

 considered in treating of the internal parts ; but 

 the structure of the completed organ merits our 

 closest attention. 



The wings of butterflies, like those of all in- 

 sects, are attached, one pair to the middle and 

 the other to the hinder segment of the thorax, 



