346 
natural history 
sphere in others they are but a small part of it, and just 
appealing from the head: in some also they are small, 
and in others large; but in all of them, the outer coat has 
a lustre, in which may be discovered all the various co- 
lours in the rainbow. It has, likewise, the appearance of 
a mu . Jplyir ; ; -glass, having a great number of sides, or 
facets, in the manner of a brilliant cut diamond. In this 
particular, the eye of the butterfly and of most other 
insects correspond. 
The wings of butterflies are very different to those of 
any other fly: they have four in number, and though two 
©f them be cut off, the animal is still enabled to fly. 
They are, in their own substance, transparent, but owe 
their opacity to the beautiful dust with which they are 
covered. 
The painted lady butterfly is a species not very com- 
mon. In some seasons, these insects appear in consider- 
able numbers, and then again are not seen for several ^ 
years. In point of beauty, this has the highest claim of 
&H; i s wings are indented, above orange, variegated with 
black and white beneath: four eyes on the posterior 
Its larva feeds on nettles, thistles, docks, and other herb- j 
age; by the sides of ditches, and changes its state about 
the middle or latter end of July. 
Sphink Carolina. (PL 56.) The larva of this \ 
scarce insect is green, with lateral spiricles on every j 
segment, surrounded by a purple ring, and the cam , 
dal spine is of the same colour. When full grown, 
they are thick set in the middle; their horn or tongue 
is generally curled; aad they have two feelers. Their 
wings clouded, entire, and posterior margin dotted j 
with white; abdomen has five pair of sulvous spots. 
In the southern states they are distinguished by the : 
name of tobacco-moths, on account of their feeding en~ j 
tk^ly on that plant. 
Elm Moth. (PL 56.) The wings of this insect are 
white^with a double row of pale black spots across the 
middle: a farraginous brown spot at the base, and an- 
other at the posterior margin of ■ the first pair: 
