. Insect transformations . unted for. Intwo species of Vanessa, for instance, the small andthe great tortoise-shell butterflies, which differ inlittle but size, the egg of the small is cylindric witheight prominent ribs, while that of the great is shap-ed like a Florence flask, and quite smooth and uni-form.* The ribbing of the eggs of the small tortoise-shell * Sepp, der Wonderen Gods, Tab. ii, and VI. 4* 42 INSECT TRANSFORMATIONS. butterfly (Vanessa iitirccB), which is also found onthose of most of the species, leads us to remark thatinsect eggs are frequently sculptured in a very
. Insect transformations . unted for. Intwo species of Vanessa, for instance, the small andthe great tortoise-shell butterflies, which differ inlittle but size, the egg of the small is cylindric witheight prominent ribs, while that of the great is shap-ed like a Florence flask, and quite smooth and uni-form.* The ribbing of the eggs of the small tortoise-shell * Sepp, der Wonderen Gods, Tab. ii, and VI. 4* 42 INSECT TRANSFORMATIONS. butterfly (Vanessa iitirccB), which is also found onthose of most of the species, leads us to remark thatinsect eggs are frequently sculptured in a very beau-tiful manner, far out-rivalling in elegance of designand delicacy of workmanship the engravings whichwe sometimes see on eggs brought from India andChina. Some of them, when seen through a micro-scope, remind us of the fine crustaceous shells calledsea-eggs, — a resemblance which is well exemplifiedin the egg of the angle-shades moth [Phlo2;opliorameticulosa, Stephens), as compared with the Chj-peaster of <-, —„ „, - - e angle-shades iiuitli C P/i/(,:,(//»Ao/y/ vitti- cutosu) ; I, seii-eg^ (Ctyptasttr,) iialural size. These channellings appear to correspond in mostcases with the rings of the caterpillar to be hatchedfrom the egg; but the design of tlie other sculptureson these eggs has not yet been discovered hy theinvestigations of naturalists, and may, probably, forever elude human penetration. But though wecannot tell why an insects egg is so tastefully carved,we can admire the minute delicacy and extraordinaryregularity of the markings. The egg of the meadowbrown butterfly {Hippnrchia Jurlina) is crowned atthe upper end with sculptured work in the form oftiles or slates, as if to defend it from injury, whileothers are covered with a sort of net-work of extreme-ly minute six-sided meshss. FOnMS OF EGGS. 43
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