BUTTERFLY-HUNTING BEGINS, 



3». 



twigs on which they sit with folded vans ; the 

 upper sides are beautifully dappled with 

 crimson, orange, or metallic sheen, and 

 flaunted boldly in the open sunlight as they 

 flit about to woo their dainty mates. On 

 the other hand, moths, whose habits of fold- 

 ing the wings are exactly reversed, also re- 

 verse the system of colouration. Many of 

 them which fly by day are quite as exquisitely 

 decked as any butterflies, especially in the 

 tropics ; but as a rule they have the upper 

 surface of the pinions imitative or protective, 

 while the under surface is bright and attrac- 

 tive. The one alone is seen from above, as 

 the insect sits with outspread but depressed 

 wings, close against the ground or the foliage ; 

 the other is turned to the insects mates, 

 flashing in the sunshine with iridescent hues, 

 as they chase one another fantastically in their 

 airy love-making. Sometimes, however, a 

 single set of colours answers both purposes 

 alike, as I have often noticed with the 

 Jamaican cactus butterfly — a bright yellow 



