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 he 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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