105 LECTURE IX. 



We now pass to the most splendid of all the 

 orders of insects, entitled Lepidoptera or scaly- 

 winged insects. It consists of all the Moth and 

 Butterfly tribe, or the Papilionaceous insects, as 

 they are often called. The powder or down on 

 the wings of these insects has been often con- 

 sidered by naturalists as composed of a kind of 

 feathers ; but in reality it is composed of a kind 

 of very minute scales, which differ in size and 

 form in the different species, as well as on the 

 different parts of the same species : their general 

 appearance is that of an abrupt oval, terminating 

 in several projecting points at the abrupt or broad 

 end, and fastened by a small quill or point at the 

 root or opposite end to the membrane of the 

 wing. The Lepidopterous insects, or the Butterfly 

 and Moth tribe are divided by Linnaeus into three 



* 



distinct genera or sets, under the titles of Papilio, 

 Sphinx, and Phalcena, or Butterfly, Sphinx, and 

 Moth. They all proceed from Caterpillars, which 

 afterwards change into a chrysalis, out of Avhich, 

 after a certain period, emerges the complete 

 insect. 



This change is so familiarly known as to su- 

 persede the necessity of any particular description. 



