128 THE PEACOCK BUTTERFLY. 
they sprinkled the leaves of plants, buildings, and 
clothes, with blood coloured drops, as if there had 
been showers of blood.* 
M. de Reaumur was the first who recorded a 
satisfactory and philosophical explanation of this phe- 
nomenon. An extensive shower of this kind took 
place at Aix, in France, in the beginning of July 
1608, which threw the people of that place into the 
utmost consternation. It fell in the suburbs, and 
extended for several miles round the town. The 
celebrated M. de Peiresc, a philosopher who, with 
his varied acquirements, had studied the habits and 
economy of insects, was consulted on this momentous 
occasion. On examination, he found the walls of a 
cemetery near the place, as well as those of several 
villages, spotted with large drops of a blood-red 
liquid. A short time prior to this, he happened to 
pick up a large chrysalis, which he had carefully 
laid up in a box. Soon after its metamorphosis in- 
to the butterfly state, he found that it had emitted 
a drop of blood-coloured liquor on the bottom of the 
box, of the size of a French sol. On comparing this 
with the spots on the stones in the roads, and in the 
fields, he found that they were identically the same ; 
and he then unhesitatingly pronounced that they 
proceeded from the same cause. His opinion was 
strengthened by having observed, that prodigious 
numbers of butterflies disported in the air at the 
* Movurret, Insect. Ann. Fheatrum, p. 107. 
