and splendid colouring, of these lively children of Nature, as 



" On tl»e gay bosom of some fragrant flower, 

 They idly flutt'ring live their little hour ; 

 Their life all pleasure, and their task all play, 

 All spring their age, and sunshine all their day." 



Two species of Papilio have been taken in England. 



1. P. Machaon Linn. — Sam. Comp.pl. 6.f. 1. 



Wings yellow, nervures black, as well as the base and hinder margin 

 which bears a row of 8 yellow spots ; inferior with a black fimbria, blue in 

 the centre, with 7 lunate yellow spots and a red one at the anal angle. 

 The Caterpillar of this species feeds on Rue, Fennel, Carrot, 

 and especially on the Selinum jjahistrc (pi, 580.), upon which 

 I have found it of every size, in July, on the extensive marshes 

 of Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, and Whittlesea Mere. The 

 Butterfly has been taken from the end of May to the begin- 

 ning of August at the same places, and also in Dorsetshire. 

 It is very active on the wing, but is easily taken at sunset rest- 

 ing on plants. 



2. P. Podalirius Linn. — Curt. Brit. Ent. pi. 578. $ . 



It is with much satisfaction that I commence this Volume 

 with a figure of the Scarce Swallow-tail, because it is a great 

 ornament to this Work, and will relieve those who have stated 

 that it has been found in Britain from the imputations that 

 have been cast upon them. For my own part I never could 

 see any reason to doubt Dr. Berkenhout's authority, for he 

 describes both species, and adds, P. Podalirius is "rare in 

 woods ;" Mr. Haworth, in his Lep. Brit., says Dr. Abbot in- 

 formed him "that he took in May last (1803), near Clapham 

 Park Wood, in Bedfordshire, a specimen o{ Papilio Podalirius 

 in the winged state ;" and the Rev. F. W. Hope, in a letter to 

 Mr. Dale, dated 1822, says, "I have captured the long-desired 

 and much-doubted P. Podalirius, and since then I have seen 

 another on the wing;" and yet in 1828 Mr. Stephens states, as 

 " no authentic instance of its capture is recorded, it seems 

 absurd to consider it any longer as a British species :" he is no 

 less mistaken with regard to its northern range, for Dr. Brom- 

 field informs me that it is very abundant near Berlin, and in 

 Russia up to Moscow, and M. Hoffman assures me that it is 

 found even at Hamburg. 



All doubts are now cleared up by the specimen before us, 

 which was taken by W. H. Rudston Read, Esq., when he 

 was at school at Eton College ; and to him I am indebted for 

 the loan of the specimen, which is darker than any other I 

 have ever seen. The following extract is from his letter: " I 

 captured it myself in my hat near a large nursery garden at 

 Slough, two miles from Windsor, in 1822. The month I can- 

 not tell you, but it could not be in August, as then we were 

 always absent on vacation." 



The larva and pupa are copied from Hiibner; the former 

 feeds on the Apple, Peach, Almond, Barbery, Plum and Sloe. 



The Plant is Pyrus communis (Pear-tree). 



