21 
The Fritillaries, or at least that division of them in which 
the underside of the wings is marked with metallic spots, 
present tasselled scales of a very decided character, differing 
essentially from those of the Pieridae, on the one hand, and 
from the Hipparchiae, which they somewhat resemble, on the 
other. Some are of a very long, narrow, and ribbon-like 
form, with the tassel at the apex, while others are shorter 
and broader. Their position on the wings differs from that 
of the other groups, for, instead of being placed in rows 
beneath the ordinary scales, they are situated on the nervures, 
or black veins of the upper surface, and are mingled in some 
species with scales or hairs of a unique shape. Fig. 12 is from 
Argynnis Aglaia (dark green fritillary) ; fig. 13, A Paphia 
(silver-washed fritillary), on which are found also the Indian 
club-like scale or hair (fig. 14). A. Adippe (fig. 15, high 
brown fritillary), and figs. 16, 17, and 19, are from foreign 
fritillaries, in the last of which the scale (fig. 18) is also 
found. It is strange, too, the difference of opacity in these 
scales ; for while with the exception of the apices, which in 
all are nearly transparent, figs. 12 and 19 are opaque in the 
basal half, fig. 15 in the upper half, figs. 13 and 17 in the 
whole of the ribbon, and fig. 16 for four fifths of its length. 
While examining the wings and scales of butterflies, and 
watching the escape of some hundreds of butterflies and 
moths from the pupa cases, I have been struck by several 
points, some of which are worthy the consideration of micro- 
scopists. First, the almost endless variety of shape of the 
scales among the Lepidoptera ; some of the most common 
forms are figured in all books on the microscope, but there 
is room for plenty of work in this direction. The colour of 
scales is not only of almost every shade possible, but when 
viewed in situ, if the stage be rotated, as great a change 
of colour will be often seen as with polarized objects ; some 
colours (as, for example, the green in the orange-tip), prove 
on examination to be yellow and black scales intermingled. 
Again, when scales are viewed as transparent objects, the 
colour in the majority either vanishes or becomes a dull 
yellowish brown. Hence arises the question, To what is 
the colour due ? Many circumstances lead to a belief that 
the scales can be inflated, and that the insects possess not 
only the power of inflation at will, but also of raising the 
rows of scales. I have often caught and killed butterflies in 
which the rows of scales, instead of lying flat, were at an 
angle to the wing membrane. From this I have inferred 
that the insects possessed the power of rendering them- 
selves more buoyant. I do not think the “ battledores ” or 
