THE PEACOCK BUTTERFLY. 125 



Rouen being much terrified by digging up some of 

 the singular cases of the leaf-cutter bees. These he 

 considered as the results of witchcraft, and as foreboding 

 some dreadful calamity. He exhibited them to the 

 priest of the parish, who advised him to proceed 

 immediately to Paris and shew them to his master. 

 But the gardener had more sense than his pastor, and 

 went first to the eminent naturalist Nollet with them. 

 He knew well what they were ; and, while the 

 astonished gardener eyed him with superstitious awe, 

 Nollet opened one of the cases and pointed out the 

 grub it contained, and thus dispelled his apprehen- 

 sions.* 



In the year 1780, Romberg noticed a shower of 

 blood, that had excited universal attention, and which 

 he could the more satisfactorily shew to be produced 

 by the flying forth and the casting of bees, as the 

 phenomena in the place around the beehives them- 

 selves were remarkably striking. From this fact it 

 is evident, that the appearance is attributable to 

 other insects as well as the lepidoptera. 



We have many other records of showers of blood, 

 which, no doubt, may be referred to the same source ; 

 and it is worthy of remark, that these are invariably 

 stated to have taken place in warm seasons of the 

 year, when the papilionaceous tribes are most 

 numerous. 



This provision in the physical habits of butterflies, 

 is analogous to a similar process in other animals, 



* REAUMUR, vi. p. 99. 



