298 INSECTS. 



the honeyed juices diftilled from every flower. Thofe of the warm cli- 

 mates are the largeft and mod beautiful. 



Butterflies have four wings ; and, though two of them be cut ofF, can 

 fly with the two remaining. They are tranfparent, but rendered opakc 

 by the feathery duft with which they are covered j of difl'erent dimen- 

 fions and forms, generally fupported on a footftalk, regularly laid on the 

 whole furface, and of a perfedly beautiful arrangement, like the tiles of 

 an houfe ; thofe of one rank a little covered by thofe that follow : on 

 one part may be feen oval ftuds; on another, clufters of fl:uds heart- 

 formed, or long, or triangular ; interfperfed with taller ftuds. The 

 wing is compofed of ftveral thick nerves, very ftrong, though light. 

 The animal fupports itfelf long in air, although its flighj; be not grace- 

 ful. When the butterfly defigns to vifit a confiderable diftance, it 

 afcends and defcends ; going fometimes to the right, fometimes to the 

 left J it flies thus irregularly in purfuit of its mate, which it can difcover 

 at a mile's diftance. 



The animal may be divided into three parts ; the head, the corfelet, 

 and the body. The body is the hinder part compofed of rings, gene- 

 rally concealed under long hair, with which that part is clothed. The 

 corfelet is more folid than the reft of the body, becaufe the fore wings, 

 and the legs, are fixed therein. The legs are fix ; four only are ufed by 

 the animal ; the two fore legs being often concealed in the long hair of 

 the body. Thefe parts internally have the fame fet of vefiTels in the 

 butterfly as in the caterpillar ; but the blood or humours which in the 

 caterpillar circulated from the tail to the head, in the butterfly circulate 

 from the head to the tail. 



The eyes of butterflies have not all the fame form j fome are large, 

 others fmall ; fome are the larger portion of a fphere, others but juft 

 appearing from the head. In the outward coat of all is a luftre, offering 

 the colours of the rainbow j it refembles a multiplying glafs ; having a 

 great number of fides, or facets, like moft other infefts. 



Leuwenhoek alTerts there are above fix thoufand facets on the cornea 

 of a flea. Puget adapted the cornea of a fly to fee objefts through it 

 by means of a microfcope j and nothing could exceed the ftrange- 

 nefs of its reprefentations : a foldier, feen through it, appeared an army 

 of pigmies j for it multiplied and diminifhed obje(5ts : the arch of a 

 bridge exhibited a moft magnificent fpe6tacle; and the flanae of a candle 

 feemed a beautiful illumination. 



Pytterflies, like moft flying infeds, have on their heads two feelers, 



6 movable 



