176 TRUE TALES OF THE INSECTS. 



Conspicuous Beauty and Abundance of the Symbols. 



Than the Butterfly the world offers no illustration 

 of the soul more striking, for it bursts in beauty on 

 the wing from a dull, lowly chrysalis, its previous death- 

 like stage, a lively image of the soul, freed and purified 

 from material things. 



Almost needless to say, butterflies are the most 

 beautiful of all insects, in fact, for gorgeousness of attire, 

 as a whole, they have scarcely a rival in the animal 

 world ; many may be likened in splendour to animated 

 flowers. In the equatorial regions they constitute one 

 of the most prominent and constant displays of animal 

 life. Their abundance, their conspicuous hues, their 

 size, as well as their peculiarities of shape and habits, 

 all conspire to arrest the attention of the least observant 

 of mortals. In the vicinity of old towns, both in the 

 East and West, they are especially plentiful, and love 

 to sport along roads and pathways in forests. Descrip- 

 tion can give no adequate idea of their rich and dazzling 

 colours. Intense blues there are, satiny greens, gor- 

 geous crimsons, fiery orange, golden yellows ; not in 

 small spots and patches, but in great masses, ofttimes 

 contrasted by deep velvety black. We see wings 

 spangled with metallic green, others literally glitter 

 with spots and markings as of molten gold or silver ; 



