THE TIME OF YEAR. 



The Emperor moth came out on the 2nd of April, and 

 suddenly filled the cardboard box like the noonday- 

 phantom in the sunshine, so unexpected and wonderful. 

 His wings, which as lie rests are spread open, stretched 

 from one side of the box to the other, hovering over his 

 old home, a beautiful grey tipped with pink, and peacock- 

 eyed, ring within ring He clung to the piece of heather 

 upon which the caterpillar was found seven months before, 

 and which he had fixed in the threads of his cocoon. 

 The immense dark green caterpillar banded with black 

 and spotted with gold was found on the 29th of August 

 among the heather on the hill-side ; the sun burning, the 

 air all alight with the fire of the beams, a day of flame 

 — as if the keen tips of the pine needles would take 

 fire in the glow. The caterpillar in its colour and size 

 seemed almost tropical ; those who have not seen it 

 would scarcely believe that a caterpillar could be so 

 magnificent ; but indoors in the cardboard box he lost 

 his sun-burnished colour and half his glory. Immedi- 

 ately afterwards he spun his cocoon, and there he 

 stayed for seven long months, so that the moth thus 

 suddenly appearing, without any cracking or opening 

 of the cocoon, appeared to be created on the spot. At 

 first, indeed, some thought it was a moth that had 

 entered by the window, there being no rent or place of 

 exit from the perfect case. Within, however, was the 



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