42 The Microscope. 



ones, the same scale was white and brown, and a very 

 curious and pretty effect it has (fig. 5). 



The edges of moths and butterflies' wings are 

 highly ornamented. The scales are long, .and gene- 

 rally shaped like fig. 6. 



You have probably observed the Brimstone But- 

 terfly (fig. 7) . It appears in spring, and looks almost 

 like a faded lime-leaf. You may observe some spots 

 on the edge of this butterfly's wings ; they are very 

 small, and appear a sort of rust-colour, but through 

 the microscope they are white scales tipped with pink, 

 shaded like those of the moth described last. Fig. 

 8 represents a few of them magnified 150 diameters. 

 Such a group, presenting as it does so little apparent 

 resemblance to the object to which it belongs, often 

 perplexes the beholders not a little, and tempts them 

 to describe it by far-fetched comparisons. For in- 

 stance, the friends to whom I first showed this object 

 bestowed on it the name of " the Alps at daybreak " 

 the sun commencing to shine on the mountains 

 covered with snow, and the yellow scales below resem- 

 bling foreground vegetation ! 



Fig. 9 represents some scales from the under side 

 of the red Admiral Butterfly's wing, giving an ex- 

 ample of another and not unusual shape. Each scale 

 is covered with a number of lines, which look as if 

 they were ruled on it with the utmost precision (fig. 

 10). These fine lines are observed on the scales of 

 many butterflies and moths. A very high magnifying 

 power generally shows them to be slightly waved, and 

 frequently crossed by a *3cond set of lines of extreme 



