310 
NATURAL HISTORY. 
traverse the air in quest of their mates, whom they can dis- 
cover at more than a mile distance. 
If we prosecute our description of the butterfly, the ani- 
mal may be divided into three parts; the head, the corselet, 
and the body. 
The body is the hinder part of the butterfly, and is com- 
posed of rings, which are generally concealed under long hair 
with which that part of the animal is clothed. The corselet 
is more solid than the rest of the body, because the fore wings, 
and the legs are fixed therein. The legs are six in number, 
although four only are made use of by the animal ; the two 
fore legs being often so much concealed in the long hair of 
the body, that it is sometimes diilicult to discover them. 
But leaving the other parts of the butterfly, let us turn our 
attention particularly to the head. The eyes of butterflies 
have not all the same form; for, in some they are large, in 
others small ; in some they are the largest portion of a sphere, 
in others they are but a small part of it, and just appearing 
from the head. In all of them, however, the outward coat 
has a lustre, in which may be discovered the various colours 
of the rainbow. When examined a little closely, it will be 
found to have the appearance of a multiplying 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, entirely correspond; and Lettwenhoek 
pretends, there are above six thousand facets on the cornea of 
a flea. These animals, therefore, see not only with great 
clearness, but view every object multiplied in a surprising 
manner. Puget adapted the cornea of a fly in such a position, 
as to see objects through it by the means of a microscope; 
and nothing could exceed the strangeness of its represen- 
tations ; a soldier, who was seen through it, appeared like 
an army of pigmies : for whileit multiplied, it also diminished 
the object ; the arch of a bridge exhibited a spectacle more 
magnificent than human skill could perform ; the flame of a 
candle seemed a beautiful illumination. It still, however, 
remains a doubt, whether the insect sees objects singly, a s 
with one eye, or whether every facet itself a complete e\' e > 
exhibiting its own object distinct from all the rest. 
Butterflies, as well as most other flying insects, have two 
instruments, like horns, on their heads, which are commonly 
called feelers. They differ from the horns of greater animal 3 
in being moveableat their base ; and in having a greatnumbet 
of joints, by which means the insect is enabled to turn then 1 
in every direction. Those of butterflies are placed at the top 
of the head, pretty near the external edge of each eye. Wh»* 
