d for the French philosopher, Peiresc, to give the
first satisfactory explanation of the phenomenon.

"In July, 1608, an extensive shower of blood took place at Aix in
France, which threw the people of that city into the utmost
consternation. Great drops of blood were plainly to be seen in the city
itself, upon the walls of the church yard, upon the city walls, and also
upon the walls of villages and hamlets for several miles around.
Naturalists said that this kind of rain was due to vapor drawn up out of
red earth which congealing, fell afterward in this form. This
explanation did not suit Peiresc, because he knew that such as are drawn
aloft by heat ascend without color; as for example--red roses, the
vapors of which are congealed into transparent water.

"In the meanwhile an accident happened that showed him the true cause of
the occurrence. Six months before he had shut up in a box a certain
worm, called palmer, which was nothing but a hairy caterpillar given the
name of palmer because it wandered everywhere. This one was unusually
large and of rare form. He had forgotten it, but one day, hearing a
buzzing in the box, he opened it, and found the worm turned into a
beautiful butterfly which presently flew away, leaving in the bottom of
the box a large, red drop. At the same time of the month that this
occurred an incredible number of butterflies were observed flying in the
air. He was therefore of the opinion that such kind of butterflies
resting upon the walls had there shed such drops of the same size and
bigness. Upon investigation he found that these drops were not found
upon housetops, nor upon round sides of stones which stuck out as would
have been the case if blood had fallen from the sky, but rather where
the stones were somewhat hollowed, and in holes where such small
creatures might shroud and nestle themselves. Moreover, the walls which
were spotted were not in the middle of towns, but such as bordered upon
the fields. Nor were they upon the highest places, but only upon those
of such moderate height as butterflies are wont to fly.

"After this whenever an event of this nature occurred scientists would
find that it always happened when the Vanessa urtica, or the Vanessa
polychloros species of butterfly were uncommonly plentiful in that
particular district where the phenomenon was observed."

"Why, how strange that is, father."

"Yes, it is rather remarkable; but many of the so-called prodigies of
anc