MOTILE x\T THE PIRESIDB. SI 



began, "in having living examples of the qnecr no- 

 tions which many people have formed abont these poor 

 niotlis. Of conrse, they are mere superstitions, and 

 very absurd. You needn't shake your head, Dan, it is 

 quite true ; I shan't try to straighten out such an old 

 felloAV as you, but wc mustn't let these young people 

 ftxll into any such foolish beliefs. In earlier times 

 people knew so little about natural histor}', and were so 

 iilled with superstition generally, that they conceived 

 all manner of ridiculous ideas of the living things 

 around them, and their relations to man and his des- 

 tiny. We have learned better now ; we know these 

 birds, and beasts, and creeping things quite well ; for 

 naturalists have studied their habits, and have inter- 

 preted, in a simple and natural way, many of the 

 strange sounds and sights that filled our forefathers 

 with awe. Let us dismiss all such idle fancies." 



" But what is this story of Dan's, about the Death's- 

 Head Moth ?" asked Abl^y. " I have heard something 

 of that kind before." 



"Here is the insect," I answered, turning to a figure 

 in the book before us. " These white markings on a 

 dark thorax certainly have a striking resemblance to a 

 skull and cross-bones, and this has given the insect its 

 name [Acherontia atropos) ; l)ut, like all similar resem- 

 blances, it is simpl}' one of the accidents of I^^ature. It 

 is a European moth, and Dan very accurately illustrates 

 the feelings with which it was formerly, and, indeed, is 

 now, regarded by many people. Latreille informs us 

 that the sudden appearance of these insects in a cer- 



