THE PEACOCK BUTTERFLY 357 



between the two sets of creatures. A butterfly, however, usually 

 flies by day and the moths at night ; but even this rule is not hard 

 and fast. When at rest butterflies generally carry their wings 

 straight up over their heads, moths usually bear them folded at 

 their sides. The antennae in butterflies usually terminate in a 

 little knob. In moths this knob is absent, and the antennae are 

 often " plumed ". 



There are many families and genera in this great group. 

 Members of this order are so well known that a general discussion 

 of one will be all that we need here. 



THE PEACOCK BUTTERFLY (Family Vanessa) 



The Peacock Butterfly is so called because of the beautiful 

 blue spots upon its wings, which are very much like the " eyes " 

 upon a peacock's tail. 



During summer it is a caterpillar, and is busily eating the 

 nettle leaves upon which it feeds. About the end of July, how- 

 ever, it is fully grown and becomes a chrysalis or pupa, hanging 

 itself up by the tail to a leaf or a twig. Two or three weeks later 

 its skin splits open, and the perfect butterfly comes out; that is 

 some time in August. 



While we are watching the peacock butterfly and admiring 

 its beautiful wings, it suddenly closes them over its back. How 

 diff"erent they look now! There are no bright-blue eye-spots upon 

 their lower surface; and they look, indeed, almost as if they had 

 been charred. 



So black are they that if the butterfly were sitting upon a tree- 

 trunk we should hardly see it; and no doubt its enemies often 

 pass it by without noticing it. 



If we catch it gently by the wings and release it again, we shall 

 find that our fingers are covered with a kind of mealy dust. 



When we place a little of this mealy dust beneath the micro- 

 scope, we find that it is made up of thousands upon thousands of 

 very tiny scales, of all shapes, but most of them cut and chiselled 

 in a very beautiful manner. 



