198 SOCIAL LIFE IN THE INSECT WORLD 



allowing the butterfly to emerge without breaking the 

 defence, indicated a relative of the great nocturnal 

 butterfly ; the silk-work denoted a spinning caterpillar. 



Towards the end of March this curious cocoon yielded 

 up a female of the Lesser Peacock, which was imme- 

 diately sequestered under a wire-gauze cover in my study. 

 I opened the window to allow news of the event to reach 

 the surrounding country, and left it open so that such 

 visitors as presented themselves should find free access 

 to the cage. The captive clung to the wire gauze and 

 did not move for a week. 



She was a superb creature, this prisoner of mine, with 

 her suit of brown velvet, crossed by undulating lines. 

 The neck was surrounded by white fur ; there was a 

 carmine spot at the extremity of the upper wings, and 

 four great eyes in which were grouped, in concentric 

 crescents, black, white, red, and yellow ochre : almost 

 the colouring of the Great Peacock, but more vivid. 

 Three or four times in my life I had encountered this 

 butterfly, so remarkable for its size and its costume. 

 The cocoon I had recently seen for the first time ; the 

 male I had never seen. I only knew that, according 

 to the books, it was half the size of the female, and less 

 vividly coloured, with orange-yellow on the lower 

 wings. 



Would he appear, the elegant unknown, with waving 

 plumes ; the butterfly I had never yet seen, so rare does 

 the Lesser Peacock seem to be in our country ? Would 

 he, in some distant hedge, receive warning of the bride 

 who waited on my study table ? I dared to hope it, 

 and I was right. He arrived even sooner than I had 

 hoped. 



