JO 



Marvels of the Universe 



PliOlo bu] [J. J. n'a:-d, F.E.S. 



CHRYSALIS OF HO\ER-FLY. 



The grub having killed many a green-fly. has reached 

 full size and turned into a chrysalis. Enlarged to four 

 times the natural size. 



THE SPECTRE OF THE BROCKEN 



The tourist who makes the ascent of the Brocken 

 — a mountain in German}- — and reaches the sum- 

 mit about the time of sunset, may be startled by 

 observing towards the east a terrific apparition 

 among the clouds. Continued inspection will reveal 

 a remarkable resemblance in outline between the 

 spectre and himself, and that all his movements 

 are imitated by the gigantic form. It is really 

 a shadow of himself thrown by the horizontal rays 

 of the setting sun upon a bank of mist that rises in 

 the neighbourhood, and the size of the shadow de- 

 pends, of course, upon its nearness to, or distance 

 from, the place where the tourist stands. The same 

 phenomenon may be seen, of course, at sunrise by 

 looking in the opposite direction to that indicated 

 for sunset. A traveller who had often been dis- 

 appointed in his efforts to raise the spectre, thus 

 describes his ultimate success : 



" About a quarter past four I looked around to 

 see whether the atmosphere would permit me to 

 have a free prospect to the south-west, when I 

 observed, at a very great distance towards the 

 Achtennannshohe, a liuman figure of a monstrous 

 size ! A violent gust of wind having almost carried 

 away my hat, I clapped my hand to it ; and in 

 moving my arm towards my head, the colossal figure 

 did the same. 



" The pleasure which I felt at this discovery can 

 hardh' be described ; for I had already walked many 

 a weary step in the hope of seeing this shadowy 

 image, without being able to gratify my curiosity. 

 I immediately made another movement, by bending 

 my body, and the colossal figure before me repeated 

 it. I w'as desirous of doing the same thing once 

 more, but my colossus had vanished. I remained 

 in the same position, waiting to see whether it 

 would return ; and in a few minutes it again made 

 its appearance on the Achtermannshohe. I then 

 called the landlord of the neighbouring inn, and 

 having both taken the position which I had taken 

 alone, we looked towards the Achtennannshohe, but 

 did not perceive an\'thing. We had not, however, 

 stood long, when two such colossal figures were 

 formed over the above eminence, which repeated 

 their compliments by bending their bodies as we did, 



after which the_v vanished. We retained our position, kept our ej-es fixed on the spot, and in a 



little time the two figures again stood before us." 



P/loto 61/] [J. /. Ward, F.E.S. 



THE HONER-FLY. 



Newly emerged from the chrysalis, the Hover-fly is 

 waiting for the full expansion and hardening of its wings. 

 Four times the natural size. 



