flew off without awaiting an
answer.

The Philosopher remained for a moment speechless, whether from amazement at
the Butterfly's nescience or disgust at his ill-breeding. Recovering
himself immediately, he shouted after the fugitive:

"Frivolous animal!" "It is this levity," continued he, addressing a group
of butterflies who had gradually assembled in the air, attracted by the
conversation, "it is this fatal levity that constrains me to despair wholly
of the future of you insects. That you should persistently remain at your
present depressed level! That you should not immediately enter upon a
process of self-development! Look at the Bee! How did she acquire her
sting, think you? Why cannot you store up honey, as she does?"

"We cannot build cells," suggested a Butterfly.

"And how did the Bee learn, do you suppose, unless by imbuing her mind with
the elementary principles of mathematics? Know that time has been when the
Bee was as incapable of architectural construction as yourselves, when you
and she alike were indiscriminable particles of primary protoplasm. (I
suppose you know what that is.) One has in process of time exalted itself
to the cognition of mathematical truth, while the other--Pshaw! Now,
really, my friends, I must beg you to take my observations in good part. I
do not imply, of course, that any endeavours of yours in the direction I
have indicated could benefit any of you personally, or any of your
posterity for numberless generations. But I really do consider that after a
while its effects would be very observable--that in twenty millions of
years or so, provided no geological cataclysm supervened, you Butterflies,
with your innate genius for mimicry, might be conformed in all respects to
the hymenopterous model, or perhaps carry out the principle of development
into novel and unheard-of directions. You should derive much encouragement
from the beginning you have made already."

"How a beginning?" inquired a Butterfly.

"I am alluding to your larval constitution as Caterpillars," returned the
Philosopher. "Your advance upon that humiliating condition is, I admit,
remarkable. I only wonder that it should not have proceeded much further.
With such capacity for development, it is incomprehensible that you should
so long have remained stationary. You ought to be all toads by this time,
at the very least."

"I beg your pardon," civilly interposed the Butterfly. "To what condition
were you pleased t