124 DESTROYING INSECTS. |_chap. v. 
of the fruity destroy insects also. All birds 
may indeed be safely encouraged in small 
gardens near towns, as they will do much 
more good than injury; and a few cherries 
and currants are a cheap price to pay for 
their delightful songs. 
As it is the larvae only of insects, with very 
few exceptions, that do injury to vegetation, 
many persons never think of destroying 
them in any other state; forgetting that 
every butterfly that we see fluttering about 
may lay thousands of eggs, and that if we 
wait till these eggs have become caterpillars, 
irreparable mischief will be done to our 
plants before they can possibly be destroyed. 
Whenever a butterfly is seen quietly sitting 
on the branch of a tree, in the daytime, it 
will generally be found to be a female, that 
either just has laid, or what is more prob¬ 
able, is just about to lay her eggs. As soon 
as the eggs are laid, the butterfly generally 
dies; and where dead butterflies are found, 
search should always be made for their eggs. 
In summer, a little oblong chrysalis, the 
colour of which is yellow, with black bands, 
will frequently be found hanging from the 
