reature either
actually emerging, or just out of his case; cutting an odd figure, and
evidently neither very proud of himself nor much at his ease, his wings
being tiny things, hardly bigger than those of a humble-bee, and hanging
limply from his comparatively ponderous and gigantic body; which they are
nevertheless destined, ere many hours are over, to carry with most enviable
celerity through the air.

The rapid increase in size of these organs is a matter of marvel; you can
literally see them grow, and within about an _hour_ they will have reached
their full expanse. The creature attaches itself, back downwards, to the
lid of its cage, or to the under side of any convenient _horizontal_
surface, that the wings, by their own weight, may aid in their dilatation,
and that they may dry without creasing, as they will sometimes do, when the
insect, being under a slippery bell-glass, for instance, is unable to reach
the desirable point of suspension, which it always evinces extreme anxiety
to do. By the time the sun is well out, our pet will have his wings
thoroughly plumed for flight; and here a difficulty sometimes presents
itself to the entomologist. What is to be done with our new-born Machaon?
It is probably a splendid specimen for the cabinet, and the collector may
long to grace his "series" with its virgin splendours. But then there will
creep over him the unwelcome sensation, that it is a somewhat cowardly
proceeding to foster a bright being into a life that might be all
joyousness, {66} and then, taking advantage of his domesticated position,
to cut short that life, almost ere commenced, and to forbid those wondrous
wings to carry their possessor to even one short day's enjoyment of
sunshine and nectar, and the doubtlessly exalted pleasure of mere airy
motion itself. Fairly chasing down a butterfly is all well enough; but this
is quite another thing.

Every one must, however, choose for himself, as to taking the sentimental
or the entomological view of the matter.

Each probably finds its followers, and to the occasional prevalence of the
more tender sentiment, are probably owing many of those stray Swallow-Tails
that turn up here and there in unlikely places.

The chrysalides, for rearing, may be obtained in the autumn or winter,
either from entomologists resident in the localities of the butterfly, or
more generally and certainly from the London or Cambridge dealers, who will
send them into the country by post