76 THK LKPlDOPTEkA OF ESSEX. 



ICarly in the century, doubtless, fairly common in several localities 

 in the county, and it has lingered until quite recently, even if it be 

 now extinct in Essex. Ray, who gives a good description of the 

 larva found near Montpellier on fennel, and in Sussex on Piinpinella 

 sagifraga, says, "and I have observed this in Sussex and Essex, 

 counties of England " {H.I. i lo). Stephens says, " It has sometimes 

 been captured close to London, in Epping Forest, at Stepney, and 

 near Peckham ; and it was formerly abundant at Westerham, in Kent " 

 {I.B.E. Haust. i. 8). Newman says, " When at school at Totten- 

 ham I have found these beautiful caterpillars feeding on rue " ( Y.E. 

 4), and again, " I have repeatedly found the caterpillar feeding on 

 rue in a garden in the occupation of some friends of the name of 

 Forster, on Tottenham Green; this was probably fifty years ago" 

 {B.B., 153V 



In C. Parsons' MS. entomological journal I find, " 1826, July 

 31, Papilio machaon, 11, at Trotter's." At first I thought this referred 

 to eleven specimens, but in a MS. list of insects left by Parsons I 

 find "11 F. utachaofi" so it is probably only a reference number. 

 In a box of Parsons' insects now in the Southend Institute, there are 

 four F. machaon, one only with a label " Sutton Broad, Norfolk, 3rd 

 June, 1841 "; the other three are most probably Essex specimens. 

 " Trotters " is in North Shoebury parish, less than three miles from 

 Shoeburyness or Southend. C. O. Rogers captured one, and pursued 

 another, in a marshy place near Southend, on August 24th, 1858 

 {E. JV.I. iv. 179). Our member, Mr. F. H. Varley, found five 

 pupse between Southend and Shoebury (not Tilbury, as printed 

 in Froc E.F.C. ii. Ixxix.) in October, 1868. Two of the 

 three specimens bred from these pupee are in the Club collection. 

 Fennel (with many other Umbellifer^) is still very common on the 

 cliffs between Southend and Shoebury, and the locality seems a 

 natural one for this interesting butterfly. W. S. Coleman, in his 

 " British Butterflies " (p. 66) says that it has occurred singly at 

 Southend, doubless referring to Mr. Rogers' capture. 



One of Rev. J. \\\ Mills' pupils took one specimen at Tillingham 

 in 1877 {Ent. x. 191), and Mr. Mills was quite of opinion that 

 machaon used to occur in his neighbourhood, as an old parishioner 



1 [I believe that we found a Inrva of P. moKh-ron in our then favourite collecting ground, the 

 lane near Temple Mills, Leyton, in 1859 ; but being then ignorant of the distinguished character 

 of our be.-iuliful caterpillar, and not knowing the food, we failed to rear it. The once rural lane, 

 along which the " Wood-lady " {fi. caniamints) used to flit in early summer, and where a morn- 

 ing s walk would furnish forth abundance of the beautiful common objects of the country, is 

 now, alas, the blackened track to the necessary, but ghastly and stinking, parish dust-yard.' — 

 vV. CoLH.J 



