S BRITISH BUTTERFLIES. 



sensitive surface, This seems to point to some con- 

 nexion between those organs and the faculty of dis- 

 covering the presence, and even the condition, of one 

 of their own race, with more, perhaps, than a mile of 

 distance, and the sides of a wooden box, intervening 

 between themselves and their object. 



Whilst writing this, the current number of the 

 " Entomologist's AVeeldy Intelligencer " has arrived, 

 and I there read that Dr. Glenimens, an American 

 naturalist, has been lately experimenting on the an- 

 tennae of some large American moths, for the purpose 

 of gaining some information as to their function. The 

 article, though very interesting, is too long for quotation 

 here ; but it appears that with the moths in question, 

 a deprivation of the whole, or even part of the antennas, 

 interferes with, or entirely annihilates the power 

 of flight, so that the creature when thus shorn, but 

 not otherwise injured, if thrown into the air seems to 

 have no idea of using his wings properly, but with a 

 purposeless flutter tumbles headlong to the earth. Still 

 this merely goes to prove that the antennae are the in- 

 struments of some important sense, one of whose uses 

 is to guide the creature's flight ; but as many wingless 

 insects have large antennae, this evidently is not their 

 only function. 



The antennae are also often styled the "feelers ;' ; but 

 with our present incomplete knowledge of their nature, 

 the former term is preferable, as it does not attempt to 

 define their use as the word " feelers " does. 



Considerable variety of form exists in the clubbed 

 tip of the antennae in various butterflies, as will be seen 

 by reference to Plate II., where three of the most dis- 

 tinct forms are shown considerably magnified. Fig. 12 

 is the upper part of the antenna of the High-brown 

 Fritillary (Argynnis Adippe), the end suddenly swelling 

 into a distinct knob. Tig. 13 is that of the Swallow- 

 tail Butterfly (Papilio Machaon), the enlargment here 

 being more gradual ; and fig. 1 4 is that of the Large 

 Skipper Butterfly (Pamphila Sylvanus), distinguished 



