BUT 
fliould Iwo of them be cut off, the animal -^^ould 
notwithftanding be capable of flying. They are, 
in their own lubftance, tranfparent; and owe their 
opacity to the beautiful dull with which they are 
fprinkledj and which has been affimilated by 
fome naturalifts to the feathers of birds ; and, by 
others, to fcales of fifhes j juft as their imagina- 
tions were difpofed to catch the refemblance. In 
fa6t, if we view the wing of a Butterfly with the 
afllftance of a good microfcope, we fhali find it to 
be fludded over with a variety of little grains of 
difix;rent dimenfions and forms, generally fupported 
on a fteffile, regularly laid on the whole furface. 
Nothing can exceed the beautiful and regular ar- 
rangement of thefe litde fubitances, which thus 
feem to adorn the Butterfly's wing, like the tiles 
on a houfe, thofe of one row being a little covered 
by the fubfequent : they are alfo multiform ; for on 
one part of the wing may be feen a fucceflion of 
oval ftuds; on another, a clufter of fliuds, each in 
the form of a heart; in one place they reiemble an 
open hand ; and, in another, they are long, or trian- 
gular; while all are interfperfed with taller ftuds, 
which grow between the reft, fomev/hat after the 
manner of muflirooms on a ftalk. The wing itfelf 
is compofed of feveral thick nerves, which render 
the conftrudion very ftrong, though light; and, 
though covered over with thoufands of thefe fcales, 
or ftuds, it's weight is very litde increafed by the 
number. The animal is with eafe enabled to fup- 
port itfelf a long time in the air, though it's man- 
ner of flying is not very graceful. When the But- 
terfly intends a diftant flight, it afcends and de- 
fcends alternately, moving Ibmetimes to the right, 
and fometimes to the left, without any apparent 
motive. On a clofer examination, however, it will 
be found to fly in this irregular manner in purfuit 
of it's mate, whom it feems capable of difcovering 
at a confiderable diftance. 
The body of the Butterfly may be divided into 
three parts; the head, the corfelet, and the body. 
The body, which is the hinder part of the infeft, 
is compofed of rings, generally concealed under 
long hair. The corfelet is more folid than the reft 
of the body, becaufe it gives rife to the fore-wings 
and the legs. The legs are fix in number, though 
only four are made ufe of by the animal ; the two 
fore legs being often fo much concealed under the 
long hair of the body, that it is difficult to difcover 
them. If we examine thefe parts internally, we 
fhall obferve the fame fet of veiTels in the Butter- 
fly which compofed the caterpillar; but with this 
difference, that as the blood or humours in the ca- 
terpillar circulate from the tail to the head ; in the 
Butterfly, they are found to take a courfe direftly 
contrary, and to circulate from the head to the tail : 
fo that the caterpillar may be confidered as the em- 
bryo animal, in which the circulation is carried on 
difi^erently from that of animals v/lien excluded. 
The eyes of all Butterflies have not the fame ex- 
ternal appearance ; for, in fome, they are large ; in 
others, fmall ; in fome, they are the larger portion 
of a fphere; in others, they are but a fmall part of 
it, and juft appearing from the head. In all of 
them, however, the exterior coat has a luftre, in 
which may be difcovered the various colours of a 
prifm. When examined minutely, it will appear 
like a multiplying-glafs, having a great number of 
fides, or facets, in the manner of a brilliant-cut dia- 
mond. In this particular, the eyes of Butterflies, 
and of moft other infefts, entirely correfpond : and 
Leewenhoek alTerts, that there are above fix thou- 
BUT 
fan i facets on the cornea of a flea: hence thefe ani- 
mals fee not only with great perfpicuity, but view 
every objeft multiplied in a very furprizing man-' 
ner. Puget adapted the cornea of a fly in fuch i 
pofition, as to fee objefts through it by means of a 
microfcope; and nothing could exceed the ftrange- 
nefs of it's reprefentations. A foldier who was 
viewed through it, appeared like an army of pig- 
mies ; for v/hile it multiplied, it alio diminifhed the 
obje6t. The arch of a bridge exhibited afpeftacle 
more magnificent than human fl-cill could perform i 
and the flame of a candle appeared like a fplendid 
illumination. But it muPc be confefied, that ftili 
it remains a doubt, whether the infecft fees objefta 
fingly, as v/ith one eye; or whether every facet is 
itfelf a compleat eye, exhibiting it's own obje6t dif- 
tinft from all the reft". 
Butterflies, as well as mioft other flying infefej. 
are furniftied with two inftruments, like horns, on 
their heads, which are called antenn^E, or feelers. 
They differ from the horns of greater animals in 
being moveable at their bafes, and alfo in having a 
great number of joints, by which means the infetb 
is enabled to turn them in every diredlion. Thofe 
of Butterflies are placed at the top of the head, 
pretty near the external edge of each eye. What 
the ufe of thefe inftruments may be, which are thus 
formed with fo much art, is as yet unknown to man ; 
but of this we may be certain, that they anfwer 
fome beneficial purpofes: they may, perhaps, 
ferve to guard the eye; they may beufeful to clean 
it; or they may be the organs of fome fenfes of 
which we are entirely ignorant. 
Few infe6ts of the Butterfly kind are deftitute 
of trunks; and of their ufcs naturalifts are fufficient- 
ly apprized. They are placed exadtly between the 
eyes ; and, when the animals are not employed in 
feeking their nouriftimen t, they are rolled up in curls* 
A Butterfly, when feeding, flies round fome flower; 
and, fettling on it, uncurls it's trunk, and thrufts 
it out, either wholly or in part, and employs it in 
fearching the flower to it's very bottom. This 
fearch being reiterated feven or eight times, the 
animal then pafll^s to another; and continues to 
hover over fuch flowers as are moft agreeable to 
it's tafte, like a bird over it's prey. This trunk is 
compofed of two equal hollow tubes, nicely join- 
ed to each other, like tlie pipes of an organ. 
Such is the general figure and conformation of 
thefe beautiful infcfts, which cheer our walks, and 
add to the beauty of the moft delightful feafon. 
But it is not by day alone that they wantonly flut- 
ter from flower to flower; numbers of them chufe 
the night for their excurfions, and expand their 
moft beautiful colourings during thole hours when 
no human eye beholds them. This tribe of in- 
fefts therefore has been divided into diurnal and 
no6lurnal flies, or into Butterflies and moths. They 
may be eafily diftinguiftied from each other by 
their horns or feelers ; thofe of die Butterfly being 
clubbed, while thofe of the moth taper to a point. 
Thefe two claflTes equally employ their ftiort 
exiftence in a variety of enjoyments. They em- 
ploy a confiderable part of their time in fearching 
for their food, which is found on every flower i 
and in the purfuit of the females, whofe approach 
they can often perceive at the diftance of more 
than tv/o miles. Their fagacity in this refped is 
no lefs aftonifliing than true; but, by what fenfe 
they are thus capable of diftinguiftiing each other 
at fuch diftances, is not eafy to conceive. It is 
impofTible that it can be through tlie ftrength of 
thc-ir 
