THE GREAT PEACOCK 197 



the prisoner ; others, saluting her in passing, flew to the 

 lamp, circled round it a few times, and then, fascinated 

 by the luminous splendour radiating from the opal cone 

 of light, clung there motionless under the reflector. 

 Already the children were raising their hands to seize 

 them. " Leave them," I said, " leave them. Let us be 

 hospitable : do not disturb the pilgrims who have come 

 to the tabernacle of the light." 



During the whole evening not one of them moved. 

 Next day they were still there. The intoxication of the 

 light had made them forget the intoxication of love. 



With creatures so madly in love with the light precise 

 and prolonged experimentation is impracticable the 

 moment the observer requires artificial light. I re- 

 nounced the Great Peacock and its nocturnal habits. 

 I required a butterfly with diff^erent habits ; equally 

 notable as a lover, but seeking out the beloved by day. 



Before going on to speak of my experiments with a 

 subject fulfilling these conditions, let me break the 

 chronological order of my record in order to say a few 

 words concerning another insect, which appeared after 

 I had completed these inquiries. I refer to the Lesser 

 Peacock {Attacus pavonta minor, Lin.). 



Some one brought me, from what locality I do not 

 know, a superb cocoon enveloped in an ample wrapping 

 of white silk. From this covering, which lay in large 

 irregular folds, the chrysalis was easily detached ; in 

 shape like that of the Great Peacock, but considerably 

 less in size. The anterior extremity, which is defended 

 by an arrangement of fine twigs, converging, and free 

 at the converging ends, forming a device not unlike an 

 eel-pot, which prevents access to the chrysalis while 



