304 THE MICROSCOPE, 



may be considered to form a connecting link between the Neuroptera 

 and the Lepidoptera. The females have been observed to descend to 

 the depth of a foot or more in water, in order to deposit their eggs. 



Many species of these insects are found in Britain. The larvae are 

 well known to anglers under the names of Caddis-worms and Straw- 

 worms. They are said to be excellent baits. 



LEPIDOPTERA. BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS. 



In this, the highest order of the suctorial insects, with a complete 

 metamorphosis, we meet with creatures which must be ranked with the 

 most elegant denizens of the air. 



Who has not seen and admired the elegant butterfly, fluttering over 

 flowers, which they frequently excel in splendour of colour, and at 

 length resting on them with a touch so light as not to appear to be 

 resting there ? Who has not seen them, whilst reposing on the flower, 

 opening and shutting their beautiful wings, alternately erecting and 

 depressing their long and slender antennae, popularly called horns 1 

 and who has not seen the beautiful apparatus by which they extract 

 the nectar from the flowers ? 



All butterflies and moths proceed from caterpillars, which after- 

 wards change into chrysalides ; out of which, after a certain time, pro- 

 ceed the perfect insects. The female butterfly deposits her eggs upon 

 such substances as are proper to nourish the caterpillars which proceed 

 from them : thus, the common cabbage-butterfly places them on cab- 

 bage ; the peacock-butterfly on nettles ; 

 the swallow-tailed butterfly on fennel 

 or rue ; the atalanta-butterfly on net- 

 tles, &c. These eggs are simply at- 

 fi 137 tached by some glutinous secretion to 



Eggs of the LacJcey Moth. leaV6S r stemS > in tlie Same Wa ? are 



the eggs of moths placed, a few of 



the latter are enclosed in down. The Lepidoptera are divided into 

 two great groups, the Heteroscera and the RJwpalocera. 



The distinguishing characteristics of butterflies are, that the horns 

 terminate in small knobs ; and the wings, when the insects are at rest, 

 are so placed that they meet upwards. Moths, on the contrary, have 

 sharp-pointed horns, which in many are simple, in others beautifully 

 feathered along the sides ; while the wings, when at rest, lie in a hori- 

 zontal position. 



Moths and butterflies supply the microscopist with some of the most 

 beautiful objects for examination. What can be more wonderful in 



