148 THE BUTTERFLY VIVARIUM. 



ingly objectless and careless flittings, how skilfully 

 it eludes the grasp of its pursuer, without effort or 

 any apparent contrivance, always escaping just by 

 a hand's-breadth, and gaily fluttering on till we are 

 glad to see the little hunter fairly beaten, and watch 

 with secret satisfaction his return to his deserted 

 handful of flowers. 



But though so many take a general kind of in- 

 terest in tbe common White Butterfly, JPieris Bras- 

 siote, and hail his advent with pleasure, as a harbinger 

 of the coming time of our brief but beautiful sum- 

 mer, there are few who have taken the trouble to 

 examine his aspect in detail, and acquire more 

 definite ideas respecting his beautiful structure. 



1 would call upon such to notice, on the earliest 

 opportunity, first, his slender antennae, tipped with 

 those peculiar little knobs which distinguish the 

 antennae of Butterflies from those of the Moth 

 tribe. Then the delicate tube which serves to ex- 

 tract the juices from the deep nectaries of flowers, 

 and which is held so gracefully coiled beneath the 

 palpi till its use is required. I woidd next call at- 

 tention to the creamy white surface of the wings, 

 and the microscopic beauty of the feather-like scales 

 by means of which that surface is formed; and 

 next, to the dark tone of the tip of each of the 



