PAPILIONIDiE — BUTTERFLIES. 217 



the deities v/ho had shrines at Kome.^ Again it is stated 

 by Livy, that many alarming prodigies were seen at Rome 

 in the year 181 B.C., and others reported from abroad; 

 among which was a shower of blood, which fell in the 

 courts of the temples of Yulcan and Concord. After 

 mentioning that the image of Juno Sospita shed tears, 

 and that a pestilence broke out in the country, this writer 

 adds, that these prodigies, and the mortality which prevailed, 

 alarmed the Senate so much, that they ordered the consuls 

 to sacrifice to such gods as their judgment should direct, 

 victims of the larger kinds, and that the Decemvirs should 

 consult their books. Pursuant to their direction, a suppli- 

 cation for one day was proclaimed to be performed at every 

 shrine at Rome ; and they advised, besides, and the Senate 

 voted, and the consul proclaimed, that there should be a 

 supplication and public worship for three days throughout 

 all Italy.^ In the year 169 B.C., Livy also mentions that a 

 shower of blood fell in the middle of the day. The Decem- 

 virs were again called upon to consult their books, and again 

 were sacrifices offered to the deities.^ The account, also, of 

 Livy, of the bloody sweat, on some of the statues of the 

 gods, must be referred to the same phenomenon ; as the pre- 

 dilection of those ages to marvel, says Thomas Brown, and 

 the want of accurate investigation in the cases recorded, 

 as well as the rare occurrence of these atmospherical depo- 

 sitions in our own times, inclines us to include them among 

 the blood-red drops deposited by insects.^ 



In Stow's Annales of England, we have two accounts of 

 showers of blood ; and from an edition printed in London 

 in 1592, we make our quotations: "Rivallus, sonne of 

 Cunedagius, succeeded his father, in whose time (in the year 

 766 B.C.) it rained blond 3 dayes : after which tempest 

 ensued a great multitude of venemous flies, which slew much 

 people, and then a great mortalitie throughout this lande, 

 caused almost desolation of the same."^ The second 

 account is as follows : "In the time of Brithricus (a.d, 786) 

 it rayned blood, which falling on men's clothes, appeared 

 like crosses."*^ 



1 Livy, B. 34, c. 10. 2 7j/j.^ b. 40, c. 19. 3 Ibid., B. 43, c. 13. 



* Brown's Book of Butterflies, i. 126. 



5 Annales, p. 15. ^ Tbid. 



