200 HANDBOOK OF NATURE STUDY 



period. It is not uncommon to find them frozen and appar- 

 ently dead, yet they recover as soon as the rays of the sun 

 warm them back to life" (Lugger). Later in the season 

 these white butterflies often become very numerous. 



You will observe that they use all six feet for walking, 

 while some butterflies use only four. They have four 

 wings, to which the different colors are given by delicate 

 scales which easily rub off. From the head two organs 

 stand out like horns ; these are the feelers, and the insects 

 use them to touch objects as we use our fingers. You can- 

 not fail to observe the large eyes, by means of which they 

 generally see a boy before he is quite near enough to catch 

 them. But where is this mouth? If you look closely just 

 below the butterfly's head, you will observe an organ coiled 

 like a watch spring. On uncoiling it with a pin, you will 

 find it possessed of considerable length. This long sucking- 

 tube is the principal part of a butterfly's mouth. If you 

 have not seen how they use it, you must watch them on the 

 flowers. Most butterflies live on the honey of flowers, but 

 they are often seen in great numbers drinking water on 

 moist ground. 



Life history. The cabbage butterflies lay their eggs on 

 the lower side of rutabaga and cabbage leaves, where they 

 can be found on close inspection. They look like small 

 yellowish pyramids about one-sixteenth of an inch long. 

 They are not found in bunches like mosquito eggs. The 

 eggs are also laid on peppergrass, shepherd's purse, and 

 other weeds, but only such plants are selected as the cater- 

 pillars will eat. 



The caterpillars. The eggs hatch within a few days, and 

 the first meal of the very small, greenish-yellow caterpillars 

 are the shells of their eggs ; those finished, they proceed to 

 the cabbage leaves. The appetite of most healthy children 

 is so good that they can eat from four to six times a day, 



