THE BUTTEEFLY. 391 



fingers upon the slightest touch, and, if observed 

 through a good microscope, appears to be spread 

 over with a thousand beautiful scales. 

 4 The eyes of this insect are extremely beautiful : they 

 have two feelers, six legs, and four wings ; and if one 

 pair were to be dissevered from the body, they would 

 still be equally capable of flight. 



Such is the concise description of this beautiful in- 

 sect, which cheers our walks and announces the ap- 

 proach of summer and the decline of spring. They 

 may be divided into two classes ; namely, the butterfly, 

 which sports abroad all day ; and the moth, which pre- 

 fers the gloom of night. All the tribe of female moths 

 lay their eggs a short time after they leave their aure- 

 lian state; but there are many butterflies which flutter 

 about the whole summer, and do not think of deposit- 

 ing theirs until the chillness of autumn reminds them 

 of their approaching fate. Others there are which se- 

 cure themselves from the severity of the cold within 

 the cavities of decayed trees, without providing for 

 posterity until the return of spring. 



OF THE ENEMIES OF THE CATERPILLAR. 



Nature, though she has rendered some animals 

 surprisingly fruitful, yet takes care to prevent their too 

 great increase ; and few creatures have to encounter 

 such a variety of enemies as the one we have recently 

 described ; for a single sparrow and its mate have been 

 known to destroya thousand caterpillars in the course 

 of a week. They are likewise frequently known to live 

 upon each other, and in that case the strong become 

 destroyers of the weak ; but the greatest devastation 

 that is committed upon this reptile, proceeds from 

 thdit bodies being made a receptacle for the eggs of 



c c 4 



