THE GREAT WHITE BUTTERFLY. 1G1 



appearance of the wings, and their bright black 

 veins, which are qnite free from the downy coating 

 of scales which usually conceals them in other spe- 

 cies; the veins of the female are brown. These 

 veins arc especially remarkable Avhere they form the 

 external boundary of the wing, which is entirely 

 without the silky fringe almost invariably found in 

 all the families of Butterflies. 



From the foregoing series of brief descriptions* 

 it will be seen that a great variety of beautiful in- 

 sects would, by the careless observer, be considered 

 as no more than ordinary White Butterflies, 

 although such an observer might incidentally notice 

 that at some times or seasons the insect appeared 

 a little smaller or a little larger, a little darker or 

 a little lighter, than usual. Perseverance for a 

 short time, however, in habits of accurate observa- 

 tion would soon render the most careless in such 

 matters no longer contented with vague conclusions, 

 and tend generally to give to the mind a more defi- 

 nite tone of thought, not only in matters connected 

 with natural history, but also on all other subjects. 



The pretty Blue Butterfly in the upper part of 

 Plate III. , Poly ommatus Adonis, is the most delicately 

 toned of all the Argus, or Poly ommatus tribe. It 

 is of the purest possible azure, without the slightest 



M 



