INSECTS. 





upon tobacco, tomato, and potato plants, sometimes in such rmml 

 to seriously injure the crops. It is interesting to note that, diffei 

 the products are, these three plants are closely allied in structure. 



The pupa or chrysalis of this hawk-moth is also noticeable from it> 

 peculiar shape. One might almost call it a classic jar or inn. 

 with a handle on one side. This handle of course has its 

 cause. On a preceding page we figured a chrysalis of a but- 

 terfly, pointing out the part which served as the case for the 

 proboscis; in the present form this case is distinct, and forms 

 the handle. 



The tongue of this hawk-moth is very long, but still it i- 

 greatly exceeded in some forms. For instance, there is a 

 species occurring in Madagascar in which this organ is over 

 nine inches long. At first sight it would seem that such 

 length could not be needed, but when we study the flora of 



that peculiar island the cause 

 at once appears. This moth 

 sucks the honey from one spe- 

 cies of orchid, and the flowers 

 of this are of such a size that 

 a shorter tube would not reach the nectar. 

 This relation between this in<>th am! the 

 orchid is even more intimate since the 

 moth is needed in order to fertilize the seed. The stamens and pi-til are 

 so arranged that this moth, and only this one, is adapted t<> cany the 

 pollen from one blossom and deposit it in the proper place in aim- 

 flower. 



Fig. 276. I hry- 

 sali>"t toba 

 moth. 



Fig. 277. — Owlet-moth (CucuUia). 



"We have already given the superficial characters separating the moths 

 from the butterflies, and hence need not repeat them here. Butterflies 

 embrace the most beautiful of all the insects, and none of the cases 

 museum are more attractive than those filled with these forms. ( ' 

 other hand, butterflies are stupid animals, and we find little in their habits 

 which are interesting. 



Among the lower forms are the skippers, usually dull-colored bu 

 flies which in many ways show an affinity to the moths. They i 

 once recognized- by the hooked form of the antenna*. We hi 

 hundred and fifty species of them in the United States. Almosl 

 large in number of species is another group of smaller forms k] 

 'blues/ 'coppers,' and 'hair-streaks.' The derivation of the fi 

 obvious, and refers to the colors of the wings; the hair-streaks j 



