28 Beautiful Butterflies. 



cocoon, or hid in the earth, or some snug hole or 

 corner, until the time arrives for the release of the little 

 prisoner, when — 



" Lo ! the shrouded thing 

 Loosed from its earthly covering, 

 From shape uncouth and dusky hue 

 Like some fair vision springs to view, 

 A glossy wing in burnished pride 

 Unfolding rises from each side ; 

 Its tapering form in beauty dressed, 

 Like gold dust o'er a yellow vest ; 

 Whilst hands unseen had giv'n the power 

 To gather sweets and suck the flower, 

 It is a Butterfly, as bright 

 As ever sparkled in the light." 



And this third state of its existence is called trie 

 Imago, or perfect state of the insect ; this term is the 

 Latin for Image, whence comes Imagination, that 

 faculty of the mind which produces images of things 

 unknown, &c. 



I will now recall the stages through which the insect 

 has passed before it assumed that glorious shape — that 

 complete image of beauty, in which it now hovers and 

 flutters before our eyes — 



" The brightest and the lightest thing 

 That flits about on snort ive wing ;" 



and to impress these more deeply on your memory, 



