LEPIDOPTERA. 75 



liancy that of some of the South American insects. It 

 is a strong flyer, and makes his throne on the lofty 

 branches of oak trees. Entomologists of former days 

 used a ring-net, fastened on the end of a rod thirty or 

 forty feet long, an instrument which must require some 

 practice to handle witli effect. But now, collectors 

 wait till his majesty descends from his throne, and comes 

 to the ground for eating or drinking, in which matters 

 he is not so particular as befits imperial purple, for he 

 prefers muddy places to drink from — water containing 

 much " body " — to borrow a phrase from the wine mer- 

 chant. Dead dogs and cats, in a high and semi- 

 fluid state of decomposition, are favourite food, and 

 if such baits are placed in places where these butter- 

 flies occur, specimens may be secured without difiiculty, 

 his majesty being too much occupied with his meal 

 to be scared away. Woods in the south of England 

 are this butterfly's localities. I have never heard 

 of any specimen being seen in Shropshire or Stafford- 

 shire. The larva is pale green, with obhque yellow 

 lines, and a yellow stripe on each side. On the head 

 are two snail-like tentacles or horns ; it feeds on poplars 

 and sallov;s, in May. I should mention that the under 

 sides of the Emperor's wings are prettily marbled with 

 red, white, and brown. The Fritillaries are pretty mem- 

 bers of this same family ; tliey all have metallic spots and 

 marks on the under surface of the lower wings, giving to 

 them a burnished silver appearance. There are several 

 British species belonging to the genera Argynnis and 

 Melitwa ; tlie larv?e are spiny, and feed generally on 

 wild violets. 



The Erycinidae family has only one British species : 



