314 THE EMPEROR MOTH. 



before your notice a night-flier, worthy, you must allow, to 

 compete with the gaudier butterflies of day. This is none 

 other than the Emperor Moth, a right royal insect, arrayed in 

 royal purple. A shade of gray, in unison with his nocturnal 

 character, forms indeed the groundwork of his wings ; but 

 these are enlivened by white bands, contrasted with others of 

 dark brown, and tinged, and waved, and tipped with purple, 

 while from the centre of each looks out a large eye (ocellus), 

 conspicuous in its white iris and black pupil. Though in re- 

 spect of size inferior to the " Great Goat," the Emperor can 

 boast his inches, in his own wings two and a half's expansion, 

 in those of his empress, nearly three ; though these truly are 

 nothing compared to the inches (eight or ten !) displayed by 

 the " Atlas Moth " of South America and China ; a giant be- 

 longing to the same family as our Emperor and the "Peacock" 

 of Southern Europe. Having described already, in a more 

 proper place, the ingenious labours of a certain flask-making 

 weaver,* we have only here to remind our readers that this 

 king of his craft is none other than the caterpillar of our Em- 

 peror Moth. Whensoever they may be so lucky as to find 

 him (most likely on a willow or a blackthorn), they may at 

 once recognise him by his handsome green doublet, banded 

 with black, and studded with pink, hairy, star-like tubercles, 

 badges of distinction, which mark, even in his meanest 

 state, this moth-monarch of the night. 



* See "Moths as Operatives." 



