APORIA. 141 



Apjria crafa^gt, Newman, Brit. Butterflies, p. 167 (1881), 

 Kirby, Eur. Butterflies and Moths, p. 8, pi. 4, figs. 2a-c 

 (1878) ; Lang, Butterflies Eur. p. 27, pi. 6, fig. i ; pi. 15, 

 fig. I (transf. : 1881); Barrett., Lepid. Brit. Isl. i. p. 18, 

 pi. I, figs. 2, 2a-c (1892); Buckler, Larv^ of Brit. Lepid. i. 

 pi. 2, fig. I (1886) ; Rye, Handb. Brit. ALicro. Lepid. p. 

 9, pi. 2, fig. 2 (1892). 

 This Butterfly is a very common species throughout Europe 

 and Northern and Western Asia, but is always more or less 

 uncertain in appearance. On the Continent it ranks among 

 destructive insects ; and Pallas mentions his having seen it in 

 such abundance in Siberia, that it looked like flakes of snow. 

 It frequents meadows in the neighbourhood of woods, gardens, 

 &:c,, and has a strong flight. It is very common on the lower 

 slopes in Switzerland, where it flies with Farnassius apollo^ 

 which it much resembles on the wing, at a little distance, when 

 the red spots of the latter are inconspicuous. It was always 

 considered a local insect in the south of England and Wales 

 (it is unknown in Scotland and Ireland), but less than a 

 century ago, was com.mon in many localities as near London 

 as Chelsea and Muswell Hill. Until recently, it was still 

 abundant in the New Forest, and in various parts of Kent, &c. ; 

 but within the last quarter of a century, it has disappeared 

 almost suddenly from all its old haunts, and is now thought to 

 be on the very verge of extinction as a British species. There 

 is only one brood, which appears on the wing in early summer, 

 and does not last very long. It is supposed that the dis- 

 appearance of this Butterfly is due to the multiplication of 

 insect-eating birds, in consequence of the Wild Birds' Protec- 

 tion Act. It feeds on common trees, and admirably illustrates 

 the well-known fact that the range of insects is by no means 

 co-extensive with that of the plants on which they feed. A 

 fjw years more will probably decide whether the Butterfly will 

 actually disappear from England, or recover itself, and again 

 become comparatively common with us. 



