926 Marvels of the Universe 
THE HEAD OF A BUTTERFLY. 
It is dissected out to show the many parts of which it is composed. First are the long jointed antennae; beneath are situate 
the eyes, which are very large, prominent, and composed of innumerable facets; lower down are the palpi, or feelers, which guide 
the action of the proboscis, or tongue. When at rest the proboscis is curled up between the two palpi. 
From the structure of the mouth-organs it is, of course, obvious that a butterfly or a moth cannot 
eat green leaves as food; all its nutriment must necessarily be of a liquid character ; the sweet 
nectar of flowers, the juices of ripe fruit, and in some cases the unsavoury material previously 
referred to, constitute its entire diet. All the green food which it needs is consumed while in its 
caterpillar stage, for then it is provided with a pair of biting mandibles ; the change in the mouth- 
parts from those of the caterpillar to those of the butterfly or moth is a very remarkable one. 
In some genera of moths the proboscis is developed to an enormous length. For instance, the 
Convolvulus Hawk-Moth probes the depths of the flowers of the tobacco-plant, petunias, etc., with 
a tongue nearly five inches in length—more than double the length of its body. With these long 
tongues there is no need to alight upon the flower; the moth simply hovers before it on its 
rapidly-vibrating wings and thrusts in its proboscis. In contrast to such examples, some moths 
take their last meal in their caterpillar stage, being entirely destitute of mouth-parts afterwards ; 
and, consequently, their life in the winged state is very brief—simply a period to exercise sexual 
functions. 
The final organs of the head are the antenne, or feelers. In moths they usually terminate in a 
point, while in butterflies they are generally distinctly clubbed at the tip. These again are sensory 
organs, probably serving several senses, and possibly senses which we cannot interpret from the 
human standpoint - for undoubtedly insects are subject to sensations of which we are not 
cognizant. 
To take a concrete example. It is well known to entomologists that male moths can be attracted 
from long distances by a newly-emerged female moth enclosed in a box with a gauze covering, and 
it is generally explained that they are guided to the female by the acute sense of smell possessed by 
their antenne. We, however, cannot detect any smell being given off by the moth even when close 
to it, yet the male moths are attracted from all directions, and often from considerable distances. 
