THE BEAUTIFUL LADDER. 219 
settings. It is regarded as the chief glory of 
British butterflies, and has representatives in 
America that worthily keep up the reputation 
of their Transatlantic compeers. 
“ What has been stated only gives a glance at 
that part of butterfly life and adornment which 
meets the common observer, and, though won¬ 
derful, is not the whole of the curious history 
of these insects. In the Lepidopteran order 
the microscopist finds one of the most attrac¬ 
tive fields for his researches. Passing by the 
visible splendors, vivacity, and paradoxical life 
of these airy voyagers, let one of the many 
hundreds be taken, and the mealy dust from 
its rainbow wings is a world of enchantment 
when placed under the glass of the instrument. 
The gaudy wings are thus found covered with 
symmetrically arranged scales, like the tiles on 
a roof These scales bear a striking likeness to 
the petals of flowers; they are rounded, lance¬ 
shaped, serrated, and forked, and of all pos¬ 
sible hues, which they blend and give back 
by a power of iridescence peculiarly their own. 
There is all the dazzling richness of a collection 
of the most precious stones, gold, silver, ruby, 
sapphire, emerald, and opal; and how they 
