1902 An Extinct Btitterfly 299 



besides many other rare and beautiful insects. Now, how- 

 ever, everything is totally changed. The Great Northern 

 Railroad runs through a part of the fen where, when I was 

 a boy, one could scarcely walk ; at the spot where I used to 

 land from my boat, on the edge of the mere, stands a farm- 

 house ; my favourite locality for C. dispar — where the bog 

 myrtle used to grow in profusion and scent the air with its 

 delicious perfume — was (as I myself saw last season) con- 

 verted into a field of stinking cole-seed, with a flock of sheep 

 eating it off. All the better, no doubt, for the landowners, 

 but ruinous work for the naturalist, and as such you will 

 sympathise with me in the destruction of what was one of 

 the most interesting localities in the whole country for 

 persons inclined to such pursuits." 



About this time, too, collecting became more general, and 

 the discovery of the larva, which until some years prior to 

 the extermination of the species was unknown, led to the 

 indiscriminate attacks of collectors. Whatever else may 

 have contributed, in a lesser degree, it is clear that these 

 two influences must have played the most important part 

 (if, indeed, they were not actually the sole agents) in the 

 complete destruction of the species, as it is certain that 

 from the time of the extensive drainage of the districts, 

 already referred to, and the persistent attacks of collectors, 

 the species rapidly decreased in numbers — a decrease fol- 

 lowed speedily by their total extermination. 



Unfortunately, it is to be feared that our other fen species 

 of butterfly {Papiliomachaon) will share the same fate (that 

 is, of course, as regards our islands, for it is a common 

 insect on the Continent), though happily at no early date, 

 for in the Norfolk Broads there are prospects of its remaining 

 on our list for many years to come. 



