I 1 6 love's meinie. 



among yellow water-lilies to set off its grey ; 

 and a yellow butterfly with blue and red spots, 

 and black-speckled wings (Papilio Machaon), to 

 harmonize both. It is just as if the flower were 

 gradually turning into the bird. Examples of 

 the Starry Allegret have been ' obtained ' — in 

 the British Islands. It is said to be numerous, 

 unobtained, in India, China, Japan, Persia, 

 Greece, North Africa, Italy, and France. I have 

 never heard of anybody's seeing it, however. 



II. c. ALLEGRETTA NYMPH^A, MINUTA. 

 TINY ALLEGRET. 



98. 'Tiny Allegret,' — Yarrell's 'Little 

 Crake,' (but see names in Appendix). It is 

 a little more rosy than ' Stellaris ' in the grey 

 of its neck, passing into brown ; and Mr. 

 Gould has put it witli a pink water plant, 

 which harmonizes with it to the bird's ad- 

 vantage ; while the tiny creature stands on 

 the bent leaf of a reed, and scarcely bends it 

 more ! " It runs with rapidity over broken 

 reeds, and moves gracefully, raising and dis- 

 playing its tail at every step." It has so very 

 small a tail to display, however, that I should 

 hardly think the display was worth while. 



