136 THE UNIVERSE. 



shining throne so magnificently apparelled as one of these 

 fragile creatures ! " 



In the old chronicles we often read of drops of blood 

 scattered here and there being regarded as a sinister omen, 

 or even of regular showers of blood which carried terror 

 into the minds of our superstitious ancestors. Nowadays 

 philosophers can clearly explain this phenomenon, which is 

 connected with the metamorphosis of insects. 



Gregory of Tours speaks of a shower of blood which fell 

 in the reign of Childebert, and spread alarm among the 

 Franks. But the most celebrated is that which took place 



71. Great Tortoise-Shell Butterfly : Vanessa polychloros. 



at Aix during the summer of 1608. Tt struck the inhab- 

 itants of all the country with terror. The walls of the 

 churchyard, and those of the houses of the citizens and 

 peasants for half a league round, were all spotted with 

 great drops of blood. 



An attentive examination of them convinced a savant of 

 that day, M. de Peirese, that all that was told about the 

 subject was pure fable. He could not at first explain this 

 extraordinary phenomenon, but chance revealed the cause 

 clearly. Having inclosed in a box the chrysalis of one of 



