HUTTERFLY. 205 



having characters wnich would more properly 

 entitle them to a place in some of the other di- 

 visions. 



The larvae of Butterflies are universally and em- 

 phatically known by the name of Caterpillars, 

 and are extremely various in their forms and 

 colours, some being smooth, others beset with 

 either simple or ramified spines, &c. and some, 

 especially those belonging to the division Equites, 

 are observed to protrude from their front, when 

 disturbed, a pair of short tentacula or feelers, some- 

 what analogous to those of a snail. 



A Caterpillar, when grown to its full size, retires 

 to some convenient spot, and securing itself pro- 

 perly by a small quantity of silken filaments, either 

 suspends itself by the tail, hanging with its head 

 downwards, or else in an upright position, with 

 the body fastened round the middle by a proper 

 number of filaments. It then casts off the cater- 

 pillar skin, and commences chrysalis, in which 

 state it continues till the inclosed Butterfly is 

 ready for birth, which, liberating itself from the 

 skin of the chrysalis, remains till its wings, which 

 are at first very short, weak, and covered with 

 moisture, are fully extended: this happens in the 

 space of about a quarter of an hour, when the ani- 

 mal suddenly quits the state of inactivity to which 

 it had been so long confined, and becomes at plea- 

 sure an inhabitant of air. 



The papilionaceous insects in general, soon 

 after their enlargement from the chrysalis, and 

 commonly during their first flight, discharge some 



