220 PAPILIONID^ — BUTTERFLIES. 



such small creatures might shroud and nestle themselves. 

 Moreover, the walls which were so spotted, were not in the 

 middle of towns, but they were such as bordered upon the 

 fields, nor were they on the highest parts, but only so 

 moderately high as Butterflies are commonly wont to fly. 



'' Thus, therefore, he interpreted that which Gregory of 

 Tours relates, touching a bloody rain seen at Paris in divers 

 places, in the days of Childebert, and on a certain house in 

 the territory of Seulis; also that which is storied, touching ' 

 raining of blood about the end of June, in the days of King 

 Robert; so that the blood which fell upon flesh, garments, 

 or stones could not be washed out, but that which fell on 

 wood might; for it was the same season of Butterflies, and 

 experience hath taught us, that no water will wash these 

 spots out of the stones, while they are fresh and new. When 

 he had said these and such like things to various, a great 

 company of auditors being present, it was agreed that they 

 should go together and search out the matter, and as they 

 went up and down, here and there, through the fields, they 

 found many drops upon stones and rocks; but they were 

 only on the hollow and under parts of the stones, but not 

 upon those which lay most open to the skies. "^ 



This memorable shower of blood was produced by the 

 Vanessa urticae, or V. polychloros, most probably, since 

 these species of Butterflies are said to have been uncom- 

 monly plentiful at the time when, and in the particular dis- 

 trict where, the phenomenon was observed.^ ^ 



1 GassencU's Life of Pdreskius, p. 123-5; and Reaumur, i. 638, 667. 



2 Shaw, ZooL, vi. 206. 



2 The origin of red snow has likewise been a puzzle and query for 

 ages, and many .theories have been advanced by philosophers and 

 naturalists to account for it. To those interested in the solution of 

 this phenomenon, the following extract from the Mag. of Nat. Hist., 

 vol. ii. p. 322, may be curious, if not satisfactory. Mr. Thomas 

 Nicholson, accompanied with two other gentlemen, made an excur- 

 sion the 2-lth July, 1821, to Sowallick Point, near Bushman's 

 Island, in Prince llegent's Bay, in quest of meteoric iron. "The 

 summit of the- hill," he says, "forming the point, is covered with 

 huge masses of granite, whilst tlie side, which forms a gentle de- 

 clivity to the bay, was covered with crimson snow. It was evident, 

 at first view, that this colour was imparted to the snow by a sub- 

 stance lying on the surface. Tliis substance lay scattered here and 

 there in small masses, bearing some resemblance to powdered cochi- 

 neal, surrounded by a lighter shade, which was produced by the 

 colouring matter being partly dissolved and diffused by the deli- 



