BUTTERFLIES. 299 



Eyes variously formed Wings. 



form ; in some they are the larger portion of a 

 sphere; in others they are but a small part of it> 

 and just appearing from the head; in some also 

 they are small, and in others large ; but in all of 

 them the outward coat has a lustre, in which 

 may be discovered all the various colours in the 

 rainbow. It has, likewise, the appearance of a 

 multiplying glass, having a great number of 

 sides, or facets, in the manner of a brilliant cut 

 diamond. In this particular, the eye of the but* 

 terfly and of most other insects correspond, and 

 Leuwenhoek pretends there are above six thou* 

 sand facets in the cornea of a flea. Puget 

 adapted the cornea of a flea in such a position., 

 as to see objects through it by the means of a 

 microscope ; and nothing, he says, could exceed 

 the strangeness of its representations: a soldier^ 

 who was seen through it appeared like an army 

 of pigmies; for while it multiplied, it also dimi- 

 nished the object: the arch of a bridge exhibited 

 a spectacle more magnificent than human skill 

 could perform : the flame of a candle seemed a 

 beautiful illumination. It still, however, remains 

 a doubt whether the insect sees objects singly, 

 as with one eye, or whether every facet is itself a 

 complete eye, exhibiting its own object distinct 

 from all the rest. 



The winsrs of butterflies are very different to 



9 



those of any other fly: they have four in num-* 

 ber, and though two of them be cut off, the ani- 

 mal is still enabled to fly. They are, in their 



2 P 2 



