LESSON XXV.
JOSEPH’S COAT.
Many butterflies live alone. But some seem to go in what we call a swarm. A “flight” of butterflies is a better name for many together than “a swarm.” It is more common to see a number of caterpillars together than many butterflies. The large, gay-colored butterflies are generally seen only by one, two, or three, at a time.
No doubt you have seen a piece of damp ground, which looks as if it had burst into blossom, so many yellow butterflies have lit upon it. They are fond of moisture.
Orange-and-black butterflies have been seen to settle on a dead bush, and cover its branches like gayleaves. They hang, in such a case, with their wings folded against each other, and their backs down. They do not cling one to another, as bees, when they swarm.
AS NIGHT DRAWS NEAR.
AS NIGHT DRAWS NEAR.
A gentleman saw a great number of blue-spotted butterflies, rising from some low pine-trees, where they seemed to have spent the night. Another gentleman saw a very great swarm of the orange-and-black butterfly, which hovers about the milk-weed. Hundreds of small, copper-red butterflies sometimes light together on a hot, dusty road. Even the fine swallow-tails have been seenin numbers together, when attracted by the honey and perfume of a lilac-bush.
Some butterflies eat less than others, and spend much time sitting in the sun, opening and shutting their vans or wings. They seem very fond of play. You will see them whirling about, and chasing each other, like children at a good game.
Some butterflies have a way of flying at whatever they see in motion. If you toss a glove, ball, or little basket, into the air, they dart at it. They seem curious to know what it is. Did you ever see a little copper-colored butterfly, with black spots, darting at a big beetle or grasshopper?
These little fellows seem to lie in wait under the leaves, and rush out at whatever goes by, just as little dogs dash out from gate-ways!
Let us now talk a little about the colors of butterflies. The upper and under sides of the wings often differ much. The upper side is much brighter than the under side. Do you see a reason for this?
The insect flies with the wings spread out in full view. Its flight is not even and straight. It moves in jerks, called “flitting,” and it dashes here and there, zig-zag. This way of flying makes it very difficult for a bird to pick up a butterfly on the wing.
Thus the pretty insect is safe enough when he flies. But it would be easy to pick him up whenhe lights. So the upper side of his wings shows most of his beauty, and the under side, which only is shown when he rests, is shaded like a dry leaf, or is of the hue of the plants upon which he often sits.
Not only is the butterfly protected by the graver color of the under side of its vans, but it wears the general flower-color of the season, or of its home.
In spring, you know how many of the flowers are blue, or partly blue. The violets, the hyacinths, the purple crocus, the liverwort, and many more, are blue, and among them fly blue butterflies. There are more blue ones in spring, than at any other time of year.
Also, in spring, there are many yellow butterflies. You will hardly be able to distinguish them at first glance, from the buttercups, dandelions, crocuses, and cowslips, upon which they rest.
The little butterflies, which love the dusky woods, are brown, drab, and gray, with black or reddish spots, and dull, yellow marks. Their coats are like the colors of the tree trunks, the mosses, and dead leaves, where they live.
Then when the daisies and lilies are wide out, with the white roses and bright-hued summer flowers, come the white butterflies. With them follow thesplendid swallow-tail family, to swing around the tulips and gladiolas, and petunias, yellow lilies, and geraniums.
In the autumn, among the marigolds, dahlias, and asters, all our gayest-coated butterflies come out,—orange, gold, brown, scarlet, purple,—eyed like peacocks’ tails.
You must not think from this, that you will seeonlysuch and such colored butterflies, at certain times of year. You may see swallow-tails very early in spring. They have lived over winter.[23]You may see in autumn the second brood of spring butterflies. You may find the autumn butterflies sailing about in the summer. They have lived over winter as caterpillars.
A little lad said to me, one day, when he saw a very gay peacock butterfly, “I think Nature got tired of painting, and emptied her whole paint-box on that fellow!” Indeed, it does seem as if there is no gay tint of earth, or sky, or sea, no hue of flower, or rainbow, which the butterfly does not wear.
They come to us in red, purple, green, blue, white, black. They take all shades of these colors. Then the colors are put on in lines, dots, streaks, bars, spots, fringes. They are made more beautiful bythe waved line of the lower wings, by the velvet body, the slender legs, the graceful feelers, the bright, jewel-like eyes.
No silk dyer can bring out a new shade, but some butterfly has worn it for his every-day clothes, since the creation. No king can buy any richer colors, or more finely put together, than our butterfly wears. And all else about him sets off the splendor of Joseph’s coat.
FOOTNOTES:[23]North of New Jersey and Pennsylvania, the swallow-tails never live over winter.
[23]North of New Jersey and Pennsylvania, the swallow-tails never live over winter.
[23]North of New Jersey and Pennsylvania, the swallow-tails never live over winter.