314 THE EMPEROR MOTH. 



before your notice a night-flier, worthy, you must allow, to 

 compete with the gaudier butterflies of day. This is none 

 other than the Emperor Moth, a right royal insect, arrayed in 

 royal purple. A shade of grey, in unison with his nocturnal 

 character, forms indeed the groundwork of his wings ; but 

 these are enlivened by white binds, contrasted with others of 

 dark brown, and tinged, and waved, and tipped with purple, 

 while from the centre of each looks out a large eye (ocellus), 

 conspicuous in its white iris and black pupil. Though in 

 respect of size inferior to the "Great Goat/' the Emperor 

 can boast his inches, in his own wings two and a half's expan- 

 sion, in those of his empress, nearly three ; though these 

 truly are nothing compared to the inches (eight or ten !) 

 displayed bv the "Atlas Moth" of South America and China: 



J. / / * 



a giant belonging to the same family as our Emperor and the 

 "Peacock' of Southern Europe. Having described already, 

 in a more proper place'., the ingenious labours of a certain 

 flask-making \A caver, * we have only here to remind our readers 

 that this king of his craft is none other than the caterpillar 

 of our Emperor Moth. Whensoever they may be so lucky 

 as to find him (most likely on a willow or a blackthorn), they 

 may at once recognize him by his handsome green doublet, 

 banded with black, and studded with pink, hairy, star-like 

 tubercles, badges of distinction, which mark, even in his 

 meanest state, this moth monarch of the night. 



* Sec " Moths as Operatives." 



