LESSON XXIII.
THE CHILD OF THE DAY.
THE LITTLE PRISON.
THE LITTLE PRISON.
The butterfly is the chief partner of the flowers. Its long, slim drinking tube helps it to dip far into a flower’s throat. As it reaches in, it gets the stamen pollen well upon it. Then, since the butterfly rarely walks about, as the beetles do, it is not likely to waste the pollen by rubbing it off where it is not wanted.
Not only is the butterfly the flower’s best partner, but it wears the gay colors of the flowers. Once I was walking in a garden with a very little boy.A flight of yellow butterflies came over a tulip bed. “See! see!” cried the child, “the flowers are loose, and are flying away!” Poets, as well as children, have called the butterflies “flying flowers.”
In very early times, people began to study butterflies. It was not only their number or their beauty which made people notice them. It was the wonder of their changes, from egg to full-grown insect.
Who would think that this splendid thing, which scorns to use its feet, and lives on the wing in the clear air, was once a worm, crawling on many legs, among the grasses and leaves?
Who would think that this dainty creature, which drinks dew and honey, once spent all its days, chewing and gnawing leaves as the earthworm does?
Who would think that these bright wings, which are so crisp and stiff that they never bend or wrinkle even by a single fold, were once like little flat buds, inside a crawling caterpillar, or bound up in the tight, horny pupa case?
Let us follow the journey of these little greenish eggs, stuck on the under side of a carrot leaf. Let us follow them up their curious way, until we seethem sitting on the heart of a rose, as on a throne of gold, and then suddenly sailing off among the sunbeams!
Each kind of butterfly prefers some especial plant, on which the caterpillar feeds. On this plant the eggs are laid. Some butterflies like oaks best; some cabbage; some choose plants of the carrot family for a home.
The butterfly which we will now hear about is the “swallow-tail.” It is one which likes fennel and wild carrot. It lays its eggs on the under side of the leaf of one of these plants. The eggs are placed in little patches. They are of a greenish color, and nearly round. The eggs of some other butterflies are of very odd shapes.
The first eggs of the swallow-tail butterfly are laid in May. In eight or ten days the eggs turn nearly black. Then out comes the little caterpillar. The first thing he does is to turn around and eat up his shell! Next he begins to eat carrot leaf. He grows, and in a few days casts his skin.
The caterpillar keeps on growing. To get more room he sheds his skin. He eats the cast-off skin each time. He is a very pretty caterpillar. His color is bright green. On each of his twelve rings he has a black band. On each black band there aregay, yellow spots. He is about an inch and a half long when full grown.
There is a queer thing about this caterpillar. If you touch him, while he eats, he runs out a little forked horn from behind his head. He seems to want to frighten you! When you let him alone he draws in his horns. These horns can emit a strong smell.
His feet are made with rings and hairs, so that he can creep safely along the plants where he feeds. His mouth is weak, so he can eat only soft leaves. In about two weeks he has eaten all that he needs.
Then he creeps up a plant stem and spins a strong silk rope. He binds this rope about his body and the plant stem. That ties him fast. The caterpillars of several kinds, which tie themselves in this way for the pupa state, are called girdle caterpillars, or belted caterpillars. He is also held fast by the tail as well as by this body belt. When he is tied, his body shortens and thickens. His caterpillar skin bursts, and drops off.
He is now a pupa. The pupa skin hardens into a little case. Now he neither moves nor eats.
How long is he a pupa? That depends upon the time of year. In spring, two weeks are enough for the change. In hot summer, nine days or a week willdo. If it is cold autumn weather, the pupa will not change to a full-grown insect until the next spring.
If in the winter you find a pupa tied to a weed, and bring it into a hot-house, or a warm room, in a few days you will have a fine butterfly out. A wise man, who studied butterflies, put some pupæ in a very cold place, and they did not change for two or three years!
When it is time for the insect to come out of the pupa case, some motions like deep breathing are made. These crack open the hard skin. Then the insect pulls itself out. It is moist and weak. Its wings droop a little.
The new butterfly breathes hard, many times. At each breath air rushes through its body, and through the tubes of its wings. The frame of its wings stiffens and fills out. The body and legs grow dry and firm.[21]
Then the new-made butterfly rests a little,—perhaps for several hours. After that it seems to feel fine. It can move its wide wings! It can fly! It sails away!
Now it lights on a great white head of wild carrot, or on a rose. Let us look at it. Its wings are blackand yellow. The black is in bands and streaks. It has six bluish spots on each lower wing, and one large red and blue spot. Its body is like black velvet. Each lower wing has a long, beautiful, curved tail.
The butterfly is an insect with far more beauty than sense. We may say it is an insect with very little brains. It has none of the wise ways of the ant, wasp, bee or spider; it only flies and eats, and lays eggs. It builds no house, stores no food, takes no care of its young.
The butterfly can see. It has wonderful eyes. It can hear. It can smell. It can taste. Its flower partners spread out for it their finest colors, perfumes, and honey drops.
FOOTNOTES:[21]See Nature Reader, No. 2, Lesson 45.
[21]See Nature Reader, No. 2, Lesson 45.
[21]See Nature Reader, No. 2, Lesson 45.