336 
AN ASYLUM FOR WANDERERS. 
colour than by attitude and movement, which cannot be preserved at 
the extremity of a pin ! 
Our first discussion of this kind was in reference to the fate of a 
very remarkable butterfly (a sphinx, if I mistake not), which we caught 
in a net to examine for a moment. I had admired it for several days, 
coming and going among the flowers,—not, like most of its race, flying 
hap-hazard, but choosing them discreetly, and then, with a very fine, 
very long and arrowy proboscis, sucking by small sips, and very quickly 
withdrawing, as if acted upon by a steel spring. The movement was 
one of incomparable grace, of coquettish sobriety; just as if it said: 
“ Enough for to-day,—enough ! But, to-morrow ! ” I have never seen 
anything more graceful. 
It is only a gray butterfly, and not at all remarkable. Who that 
sees it dead would divine that, in charming nimbleness, it is the 
favourite of Nature, in which she has exhausted all her grace ? 
We opened the net. And not long afterwards we had the plea¬ 
sure of seeing the same butterfly, which, in bad weather, came one 
evening to take shelter with us, and found a resting-place in our 
chamber. In the morning, wishful to enjoy the sunshine, it flew 
away. 
I ought to add, moreover, that all the shipwrecked unfortunates of 
the latter end of autumn, guided by a very sure but very surprising 
instinct, willingly came to our house,—some on a temporary visit, others 
to remain with us. A young bullfinch, in a bad condition, and who 
had evidently met with more than one adventure, arrived all be¬ 
wildered, and even on the first day ate from our hands. The same 
thing happened with a still more miserable creature,—a little tiny red- 
tail, which had been barbarously deprived of its head-feathers that it 
might be sold for a nightingale. This creature, so ill-treated by men, 
which might justly have been afraid of them, not only took at the 
very first the seed from our hands and lips, but would not sleep except 
on the mistress’s finger. 
As for insects, their domestication is impossible. But many, never- 
