2±2 rAPILlONID-E — BUTTERFLIES. 



jrluc, and will not be scraped off by a knife, as blood will ; 

 but it is so like blood, as none can discern any difference by 

 the colour."^ 



On Tuesday, Oct. 9th, 1764, "a kind of rain of a red 

 color, resembling blood, fell in many parts of the Duchy of 

 Cleves, which caused great consternation. M. Bouman sent 

 a bottle of it to Dr. Schutte, to know if it contained any- 

 thing pernicious to health. Something of the like kind fell 

 ii'so at Rhenen, in the Province of Utrecht."- 



Dr. Schutte, to whom was submitted a bottle of this red 

 rain, gave it as his opinion that it was caused by particles 

 of red matter, which had been raised into the atmosphere by 

 a strong wind, and that it was in no way hurtful to mankind 

 or beasts 1^ 



In 1819, a red shower fell in Carniola, which, being 

 analyzed, says Bucke, was found to be impregnated with 

 silex, alumine, and oxide of iron. Bed rain fell also at 

 Dixmude, in Flanders, jSTovember 2d, 1829; and on the fol- 

 lowing day at Schenevingen, the acid obtained from which 

 was chloric acid, and the metal cobalt.* 



In the year 1780, Bombeag noticed a shower of blood 

 that had excited universal attention, and which he could 

 satisfactorily show to be produced by the flying forth and 

 casting of bees, as the phenomenon in the place around the 

 beehives themselves was remarkably striking. From this 

 fact it is evident that the appearance is attributable to other 

 insects as well as the lepidoptera.^ 



Bloody rain has also been attributed, with much apparent 

 reason, to other causes still, as the following accounts from 

 reliable authorities show : 



In 1848, Dr. Eckhard, of Berlin, when attending a case of 

 cholera, found potatoes and bread within the house spotted 

 with a red coloring matter, which, being forwarded to Eh- 

 renberg, was found by him to be due to the presence of an 

 animalcule, to which he gave the name of the Monas pro- 

 digiosa. It was found that other pieces of bread could be 

 inoculated with this matter.*^ 



1 Cbamb. Domes. Annals of ScotL, ii. 447-8. 



2 Gent. Mag., xxxiv. 496. 



3 Ihid., xxxiv, 542. 



* Bucke oji Nature, i. 277. 



5 Brown's Bk. of Butterflies, i. 129. 



6 Chamb. Domes. Annals of Scotl., ij. 448. 



