INTRODUCTORY LETTER. 9 



substance, and vascular structure; some representing 

 green leaves, and others those that are dry and withered 3 . 

 Nay, sometimes this mimicry is so exquisite, that you 

 would mistake the whole insect for a portion of the 

 branching spray of a tree b . No mean beauty in some 

 plants arises from the fluting and punctuation of their 

 stems and leaves, and a similar ornament conspicuously 

 distinguishes numerous insects, which also imitate with 

 multiform variety, as may particularly be seen in the ca- 

 terpillars of many species of the butterfly tribe (Papili- 

 onidce), the spines and prickles which are given as a Noli 

 me tangere armour to several vegetable productions. 



In fishes the lucid scales of varied hue that cover and 

 defend them are universally admired, and esteemed 

 their peculiar ornament; but place a butterfly's wing 

 under a microscope, that avenue to unseen glories in 

 new worlds, and you will discover that nature has en- 

 dowed the most numerous of the insect tribes with the 

 same privilege, multiplying in them the forms c , and di- 

 versifying the colouring of this kind of clothing beyond 

 all parallel. The rich and velvet tints of the plumage 

 of birds are not superior to what the curious observer 

 may discover in a variety of Lepidojptera • and those 

 many-coloured eyes which deck so gloriously the pea- 

 cock's tail are imitated with success by one of our most 

 common butterflies d . Feathers are thought to be pe- 

 culiar to birds ; but insects often imitate them in their 

 antennse e , wings f , and even sometimes in the covering 



a Various species of the genera Locitsta and Mantis, F. 



* Many species of Phasma. ° De Geer, I. t. 3. /. 1—34, &c. 



d Papilio Io) L. 



e Culex, L. Chironomus, Meig., and other Tipulidce. 



*' Pterophdrus, F. 



