ADMIRABLE BUTTERFLY. 893 



in the months of September and October we may 

 frequently see these beautiful creatures basking and 

 regaling themselves upon the rejected fragments of 

 our wall fruit. They seldom prey upon the grow- 

 ing produce, like the hornet, wasp, and hive bee, 

 but when it has fallen and advanced to a state of 

 fermentation, it becomes the most grateful to them. 

 Nothing can be less injurious than this propensity, 

 and it seems that fruit in such a state is requisite 

 for them by some constitutional formation, as they 

 appear only at the termination of a season when the 

 product of our trees is in a state of great ripeness 

 and decay. The life of this creature appears to be 

 remarkably short, and we have more certain means 

 of ascertaining its duration, than are afforded us 

 for others of the race. It very rarely appears un- 

 til late in September, and then so perfect and fresh 

 in its plumage as to manifest its recent production 

 from the chrysalis. In some years they abound, and 

 we may see twenty of these beautiful creatures ex- 

 panding and closing their brilliant wings under the 

 fruit trees on our walls, or basking upon the disc of 

 some autumnal flower ; and at another, perhaps, 

 hardly a specimen is to be obtained : nor do they 

 seem like the wasp to be scarce or abundant accord- 

 ing to the deficiency or plenty of the season, but 

 influenced by other causes. Many of our butterflies 

 are produced by successive hatches, supplying the 

 places of those which have been destroyed, and 



