BLUE ARGUS BUTTERFLY. 



ing the peculiar fitness of things to their several 

 stations in this vast world of wisdom an observa- 

 tion obvious to all, and a truth everywhere ad- 

 mitted ; yet, as a Christian moralizer, I could not 

 pass by unheeded any evidence of foresight and of 

 power. 



Basking in the glare of an August or a July sun, 

 in our pastures we see the little elegant blue argus 

 butterfly (papilio argus), noted and admired by 

 all, now warmed into active life. A few of our 

 lepidopterous creatures, especially the common 

 white butterflies of our gardens, are contentious 

 animals, and drive away a rival from their haunts. 

 We see them progressively ascending into the air, 

 in ardent, unheeding contest ; and thus they are 

 observed, captured, and consumed in a moment by 

 some watchful bird : but we have few more jealous 

 and pugnacious than this little argus. When fully 

 animated, it will not suffer any of its tribe to cross 

 its path, or approach the flower on which it sits, 

 with impunity ; even the large admiral (vanessa 

 atalantd) at these times it will assail and drive away. 

 There is another small butterfly (papilio phl&as) 

 however, as handsome, and perhaps still more 

 quarrelsome, frequenting, too, the same station and 

 flowers ; and a constant warfare exists between 

 them. We shall see these diminutive creatures, 

 whenever they come near each other, dart into ac- 

 tion, and continue buffeting one another about till 

 one retires from the contest ; when the victor returns 

 in triumph to the station he had left. Should the 



