OF PAPILIONACEOUS INSECTS. 45 



an easy retreat ; these are piled on their side, in the 

 same manner as bottles of wine in a cellar. 



The Lackey Moths deposit their eggs on the twigs 

 of trees, on which they are arranged with such 

 extraordinary regularity and neatness, that they 

 resemble pearls set by the hand of the most skilful 

 jeweller. Hence the name given to them by garde- 

 ners of " Bracelets." They are deposited in close 

 spiral circles, of from fifteen to seventeen distinct 

 rows, having their interstices filled up with a tena- 

 cious brown gum, which secures them against the 

 winter's cold, and preserves them from the attacks 

 of devouring insects. Each of these depositions 

 consists of two or three hundred pyramidal eggs 

 with their tops flattened, having their axes perpen- 

 dicular to the circumference of the twig to which they 

 are attached, which will be more easily understood 

 by the following figure : 





It is not very easy to imagine how these little 

 animals can accomplish this beautiful arrangement 

 by means of their tail and feet, in such a manner, 

 that the hand of man could not perform it with 

 greater exactness and nicety. The ingenious Reaumur 

 made many attempts to investigate this operation 

 but in vain. He collected numbers of the moth from 

 the eggs, and supplied the females with appropriate 



