BUTTERFLY WINGS. 15 



no insect is ever winged till it reaches the last stage of 

 its existence. 



If the progressive development of these lovely 

 beings is so marvellous, no less so is their structure 

 when perfected, and of this some general description 

 must now be attempted. 



In contemplating a butterfly, one feels that the mind 

 is first engaged by that ample spread, and exquisite 

 painting of the wings that form the creature's glory ; 

 let therefore these remarkable organs have our first 

 attention. 



Wherein do these wings chiefly differ from all other 

 insect wings ? Certainly in being covered thickly with 

 a variously coloured powdery material, easily removed 

 by handling. This apparent dust is composed, in 

 reality, of a vast number of regularly and beautifully 

 formed scales feathers they are sometimes called, but 

 they are more comparable to fish scales than to any 

 other kind of natural covering. The general term 

 Lepidoptera, applied to all butterflies and moths, is 

 derived from these scaly-wings ; Lepis l being the Greek 

 for a scale, and ptera meaning wings in the same lan- 

 guage. 



The use of a tolerably powerful pocket lens will af- 

 ford some insight into the exquisite mode of painting 

 employed in these matchless pieces of decoration ; but 

 the possessor of a regular microscope may, by applying 

 it to some of our commonest butterflies, open for himself 

 a world of beauty, and feast his eyes on a combination 

 of refined sculpture with splendour of colouring ; now 

 melting in softest harmony, then relieved by boldest 

 contrast a spectacle, the first sight of which seldom 

 fails to call forth expressions of wonderment and warm 

 delight ; and, truly, little to be envied is the mind un- 

 touched by such utter beauty as here displayed. 



As an example of the method by which this ad- 

 mirable effect is produced, let us take a small portion of 



1 Making Lepidos in genitive. 



