256 BENJ. PIKE'S, JR., DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE. 



Linnaeus reckoned eight or nine hundred different kinds, 

 some of which are extremely rare, and only found in par- 

 ticular places. The legs, antennae, the eyes, in fact every 

 part, when examined, afford the highest entertainment. 



Dust on the Feathers of a Butterfly's Wing. The wings 

 in themselves are, like the common fly's, transparent, but 

 owe their opacity to the beautiful minute feathers which 

 cover them ; and, examined by the microscope, nothing can 

 exceed the beautiful and regular arrangement of these little 

 substances, which, by their different colors, serve to paint 

 the wing, and by their regular layers, resemble the tiles of 

 a house-top. Carefully brush some of the dust off on your 

 slide, between two pieces of talc, place it under the micro- 

 scope, and you will be richly rewarded for the trouble taken. 

 With a high power and strong light, beautifully prismatic 

 colors and lines may be discovered. 



Caterpillars. The caterpillar is one state of the butter- 

 fly. If the silk-worm be observed in every stage, from the 

 caterpillar to the moth, it will give a correct notion of this 

 class in general. 



The body consists of twelve rings, and the changing its 

 skin is effected by its withdrawing from the old one as from 

 a sheath ; and to accomplish which seems to be the work 

 of time, but which they do successively three times before 

 they arrive at their perfect state. The skins which they 

 shed may be viewed by the microscope to much greater ad- 

 vantage than the real insect, and are well worth procuring ; 

 one in particular, having four tufts of yellow hairs, and 

 covered with smaller ones. These, when examined, appear 

 like feathers. 



Insects on the Bark and Leaves of the Ash. On the bark 

 and leaves of the ash and other trees a small insect is found, 

 enclosed in a dark spot, not larger than a pin's head ; each 

 spot serves as a covering for thirty or forty ova ; which, on 

 removing a fine silken covering, may be seen of a scarlet 

 color, but extremely minute ; and it is pleasing to see them 

 creep out of their cases. 



The flea. This well-known insect is covered all over 

 with a shining armor, or scale, curiously jointed, and folding 



