586 
Insects. 
THE CABBAGE BUTTERFLY. 
(Pontia, or Pieris Brassicce.) 
When the cole wort and cauliflower are nearly mature, the 
perfect insect of this Caterpillar is found depositing her 
eggs upon the leaves. The heat of the sun soon vivifies 
them and brings forth the Caterpillars, which imme- 
diately proceed to consume the vegetables on which 
they received being. They bear the heat of the sun 
without inconvenience, but cannot endure long rains, 
and in wet weather they soon disappear. There are 
several species of this Butterfly, but the common white, 
with a black spot on each of the under wings, is the 
earliest seen in our gardens. It lays its eggs in May ; 
and its Caterpillars, which are soon hatched, feed together 
till the end of June, when they go into the pupa state, 
from which the perfect Butterfly appears in July. The 
eggs laid by the second brood of Butterflies produce 
Caterpillars which feed during the remainder of the 
summer, and remain in the pupa state all the winter, to 
be hatched the following spring. 
From the astonishing fecundity of these insects, it may 
be wondered that they do not, in the course of time, com- 
pletely overspread the face of the earth, and totally con- 
sume every green plant. This would certainly be the case 
