10 STRUCTURE OF THE LEPIDOPTERA 



occasion, however, while watching a Peacock Butterfly apparently 

 engaged in cleaning its divided proboscis, I observed that this organ 

 was frequently passed under the thorax, and that the front pair of 

 legs were pressed against it on each side, while it was being drawn 

 outward between them. It is probable, therefore, that these limbs 

 constitute a pair of brashes by means of which the fine grooves of 

 the divided trunk are cleared of any solid or sticky matter that may 

 lodge therein. It is certain that moths, and those butterflies that 

 possess six equal legs, use the front pair for this same purpose. The 

 former, also, employ them for brushing their antenme, which seem 

 to be, by the way, particularly sensitive to different kinds of 

 irritation. 



It is a well-known fact that tobacco smoke has a powerful 

 influence on certain small insects ; and even though it can hardly 

 be regarded as a perfect all-round insecticide, it is certainly more 

 or less objectionable to the larger and hardier species. A short time 

 since, while watching a number of newly 

 emerged moths of the Sphinx group, and at 

 the same time enjoying the solace afforded by 

 the luxurious weed, a puff of the smoke was 



accidentally allowed to play into the box in 

 FIG. 9. THE UNDE- , . , , J .. 



V 6tS W6re fol> tllG tlm6 



VELOPED FOBE LEG 



OF A BUTTERFLY. Immediately they rubbed their front legs 

 vigorously over the antennae, as if to remove 

 the obnoxious irritant that had thus intruded on their presence. 

 Similar observations have led many naturalists to suppose that the 

 antennae are the seat of various senses, such as those of touch, 

 hearing, and smell. Seeing that insects do not, as far as we know, 

 possess special organs for all the five senses which we enjoy (and it 

 is interesting to note here that some insects certainly experience 

 other sensations which are quite beyond our ken), we can quite 

 understand the common tendency to locate the seats of certain of 

 the senses in such easily affected parts as the antennae. But little, 

 I believe, has been definitely proved save that the antennae are 

 sensitive to touch and to irritants generally. 



While speaking of the senses of insects, I cannot refrain from 

 mentioning a most remarkable example of a peculiar sensitiveness 

 that has been observed in certain moths of the family Bombyces 

 (page 217) notably the Oak Eggar, the Emperor, and the Kentish 

 Glory. Take a newly emerged female of either of these species, 

 shut her up in a small box, conceal the box in your pocket, and then 



