58 NATURAL HISTORY. [cH. lU. 



made stronger by further layers of silk, and when 

 completed its consistence is very hard, the outer 

 surface rendered smooth, and the inner lined with a 

 coating of shining silken tapestry. 



The perfect insects make their appearance about 

 the end of July, and their singular mode of pairing 

 has long attracted the attention of entomologists. 



" It is a frequent practice with our London aure- 

 lians," observes Mr. Haworth, " when they breed a 

 female of this and some other day-flying species, to 

 take her while yet a virgin into the vicinity of 

 woods, where, if the weather is favourable, she 

 never fails to attract a numerous train of males, 

 whose only business appears to be an incessant, 

 rapid, and undulating flight in search after their un- 

 impregnated females, one of which is no sooner 

 perceived than they become so much enamoured of 

 their fair and chaste relation as absolutely to lose 

 all kind of fear for their own personal safety, which 

 at other times is effectually secured by the reiter- 

 ated evolutions of their " strong and rapid wings. 

 So fearless, indeed, have I beheld them become on 

 these occasions, as to climb up and down the sides 

 of the cage which contained the dear object of their 

 eager pursuit, in exactly the same hurrying manner 

 as honey-bees which have lost themselves climb up 

 and down the glass of a window. 



*' While under this enervating fascination, if you 

 even handle them, or suffer them to creep buzzing 

 through your hands, they are not alarmed, as they 

 would be at another time, but continue to urge their 

 pursuit as before, endeavouring to gain admittance 

 into the cage ; of course any quantity of them may 

 be readily secured. In about four hours after the 

 aurelians have thought proper to admit a male of 

 their liking into the cage to the poor drowsy object 

 of all this anxiety, she will not fail to deposite a 

 great quantity of large impregnated eggs, of an oval 

 shape and whitish colour, blotched with darker 



