The Emperor's Rout. Unknown

Moths 31 were appointed to stencil the floor,

      The Clothes Moths32 with gossamer covered the door;

      Mahogany 33 and Wainscot34 were neither deficient

      In offering their aid, which proved most efficient,

      While Veneers,35 both rosy and yellow, were able

      T’improve, by their help, the decayed supper table.

      For the crockery, China Mark36 promised to strive,

      And Galleria37 offered to steal from a hive,

      Profusion of honey; Pinguinalis38 brought butter,

      And with wax Cereana39 came all in a flutter.

      These presents the Emperor gladly accepted,

      Save Galleria’s theft, which with scorn was rejected,

      So little do moths of great minds patronise

      The base who by fraud or extortion would rise.

      In the mean time the Empress her Swifts40 had sent out

      To deliver the cards for this elegant rout.

      Puss 41 sent an excuse, with the Kitten42 engaged,

      And the Eggar,43 poor lady, was highly enraged

      That her numerous offspring requiring her care,

      Prevented her joining a party so rare.

      The Burnets,44 Brown Pinioned,45 the Dingy Brocades,46

      The Black Raven Feather,47 and sweet Angle Shades,48

      Had promised that day with the Tussock49 to dine,

      A lady of fashion, whose hour was nine;

      But when they received their dread sovereign’s command,

      They yielded to custom’s imperious demand,

      For moths with us mortals in this do agree,

      That all parties must bow to a monarch’s decree.

      Lady Lappet50 being ill, the Poplar Lutestring51

      The two Misses Nonpareil52 promised to bring;

      And the Spectacle Moth,53 too near sighted to go,

      Sent his ward the Bright Eye,54 with the Flame Furbelow,55

      Whose young lover, the beautiful, brave Unicorn,56

      Had been shot in a duel with the Red Striped Hawthorn.57

      Not quite fit to appear, the gallant Swallow Tail58

      At the doctors with anger continued to rail,

      He having been lamed by the awkward Bulrush,59

      To the serious alarm of the fair Maiden’s Blush.60

      The day now arrived, and at nine of the night,

      The glow-worm being hired the highways to light,

      The guests ’gan to assemble, and each was announced

      By the Herald,61 who loudly their names all pronounced.

      The Ermine,62 a lady of noble degree,

      Introduced a long train of her large family;

      Some in Muslin,63 some Satin,64 were chastely arrayed,

      While the Emerald,65 the Pearl,66 and the Mocha67 displayed

      Their jewels so costly, that poor Burnished Brass68

      Unnoticed was suffered the evening to pass.

      From the banks of the Niger the Blackamoor69 brought

      A fat Moor,70 who presented a Tyger71 just caught;

      An old Gentlewoman72 had promised to bring

      A musical Miss, who divinely could sing,

      But whose fair head, no larger than that of a Dot,73

      Was filled with the thought of a True Lover’s Knot;74

      So she hem’d and she ha’d, then unblushingly told,

      How she caught as she came a most violent cold,

      And felt such oppression and pain in her throat,

      1

      Saturnia pavonia minor. The caterpillars of these moths are of a beautiful green, with blue spots, and after living together for three weeks, they separate, and disperse themselves in all directions. The Chrysalis is covered with a strongly glutinous matter,

31

Geometra subtristata.—&c. &c.

32

Tinea genus.—These are the moths which cause so much destruction to furs, and other articles of clothing. They lay their eggs on the substances which serve them for food. The most effectual method of keeping them away is to pack the materials in a well-closed tin box, and enclose with them a tallow candle.

33

Noctua tetra.

34

Leucania.—Genus of Stephens.

35

Crambus carnea.—Rosy veneer. Crambus arborum.—Yellow satin veneer. They receive their name from the streaks on their wings. They are chiefly found on grasses in flower, and always settled with their heads downwards.

36

Botys genus.—Called China mark, from the resemblance of the spots on the wings to those on old China.

37

Galleria alvearia.—The caterpillar lives on honey.

38

Aglossa pinguinalis.—The food of the caterpillar consists of fat substances, such as butter or lard, in which it will suffer itself to be completely enveloped without injury. It is sometimes said to get into the human stomach, when it causes very dangerous symptoms.

39

Galleria cereana.—The caterpillar feeds on wax, but for want of this food will eat paper, wafers, &c.

40

Hepialus genus.—The gold Swift sometimes moves slowly through the air, a few feet from the ground, where it poises itself; at others, vacillates like the pendulum of a clock, and again altering its motion, darts about with great rapidity.

41

Cerura vinula.—The caterpillar of the Puss has the power of stretching out, or pulling back its head at will, according to its apprehension of danger. Its hinder extremity never touches the ground, but is furnished with two tubes, through which the insect ejects a thin liquor at its pursuers. When near the change into the pupa state, however, the tubes dry up, and it loses this faculty. More male than female moths are to be found, which is contrary to the general rule.

42

Cerura furcula.—The kitten.

43

Lasiocampa quercus.—The Eggar has been known to remain seven years in the chrysalis state.

44

Zygæna genus.

45

Noctua oblonga.

46

Noctua obscura.

47

Porrectaria grandipennis.

48

Noctua meticulosa.—The chrysalis of the Angle-shades is of a deep red colour, with two sharp points at the tail. The caterpillar is of a fine transparent green.

49

Laria genus.—The Tussock feeds on white thorn, and is the hop-dog of the hop-gatherers in Kent.

50

Gastropacha quercifolia.—The caterpillar of this moth also lives through the winter, a fact recently discovered by Mr. Samouelle, from whose obliging communications many of these notes have been derived.

51

Noctua flavicornis.

52

Noctua fraxini.—The Nonpareils are very scarce in England, are very large moths, and have blue under-wings.

53

Noctua triplacea.—Named Spectacle moth, from an appearance like spectacles on its thorax.

54

Noctua conigera.—Brown line. Bright eye.

55

Noctua furca.

56

Sphinx convolvuli.—The unicorn caterpillar is difficult to find, from its habit of hiding itself in the ground, and only appearing on the surface in the evening to feed on the lesser bindweed, at which time it is frequently sought by collectors with a candle and lanthorn. The Pupa has an enormous rostrum, longer than the insect, and very thick, probably to contain the proboscis.

57

Tinea bistriga.—These are beautiful minute insects, and are found on the white thorn in July.

58

Geometra sambucaria.—This is found in lanes, and is remarkable for the elegance of its flight.

59

Noctua typhæ.—The caterpillar feeds on the pith of the bulrush.

60

Geometra punctaria.—The Maiden’s Blush flies in the shady parts of woods at sunset.

61

Noctua libatrix.

62

Erminea padi.—This insect destroys the white thorn hedges in the neighbourhood of London. About three years back, a dress was woven by the caterpillars for the Queen of Bavaria. A model was made of some stiff material, and the caterpillars placed on it; they covered it with their web, and thus produced a garment without a seam.

63

Arctia mendica.

64

Arctia salicis.—The Satin moth not only itself wears the appearance of this substance, but covers its eggs with a web which has the same resemblance.

65

Geometra papilio naria. —These moths in colour resemble the stones, &c., after which they are named. The Emerald becomes white with keeping, and the others turn to a dirty yellow.

66

Noctua perla. —These moths in colour resemble the stones, &c., after which they are named. The Emerald becomes white with keeping, and the others turn to a dirty yellow.

67

Geometra omicromaria. —These moths in colour resemble the stones, &c., after which they are named. The Emerald becomes white with keeping, and the others turn to a dirty yellow.

68

Noctua chrysitis.—The upper wings of the moth are of a light brown, and streaked across with two bands resembling polished brass.

69

Noctua Ethiops.—So named from its dark appearance.

70

Noctua Maura.—The Moor has a broad body, and is constantly found under the arches of Westminster Bridge.

71

Arctia caja.—The caterpillar mixes its own hair with its web. It is found in gardens, feeds on every thing, and changes its skin ten times.

72

Noctua brassica.—The caterpillar is very destructive to cabbages.

73

Noctua persicaria.—This moth is remarkable for a white spot on its wing, and the caterpillar feeds on the flower from which it is named.

74

Noctua erica.—The appearance of a true lover’s knot is found on its upper wings.