GENERAL ACCOUNT OF BUTTERFLIES 



of their transformations, and, often, the working 

 out of the relations between the different forms 

 of the same species. 



In studying the transformation sone may be- 

 gin either with larvas or with eggs ; the latter 

 way is the more desirable, but more difficult. 

 By careful watching, one can often see a butterfly 

 laying its eggs upon the food plant of its larva, 

 and in this way obtain them ; but if one fails to 

 find the eggs, it is easy to find the larvae later. 

 In many cases the eggs can be readily obtained 

 by caging a living female 

 butterfly with the proper 

 food plant. 



Breeding-cages are nec- 

 essary for rearing cater- 

 pillars. A good home- 

 made cage can be built by 

 fitting a pane of glass into 

 one side of an empty soap- 

 box. A board, three or 

 four inches wide, should 

 be fastened below the glass so as to admit 

 of a layer of soil being placed in the lower part 

 of the cage, and the glass can be made to slide, so 

 as to serve as a door (Fig. 13). The glass should 

 fit closely when shut, to prevent the escape of 



*7 



Fig. 13. — A home-made 

 breeding-cage. 



