PURPLE EMPEROR. 1?9 



This fine insect, which is highly prized by collec- 

 tors both for its beauty, and the difficulty with which 

 it is obtained, has been occasionally found in many 

 of the southern counties of England, but it does not 

 extend far to the north. It has been found in some 

 plenty in Coombe-wood, Great and Little Stour 

 Woods, in Essex, Dodnash and Raydon Woods, in 

 Suffolk, &c. Owing to the strength and thickness 

 of its wings it is enabled to fly with greater velocity 

 than any other British butterfly, and to maintain a 

 lofty and continuous flight almost like the soaring of 

 a bird of prey. Its habits have been so well de- 

 scribed by Haworth in his Lepidoptera Britannica, 

 that we cannot refrain from extracting the passage. 

 " The Purple Emperor of the British Oaks is not 

 undeservedly the greatest favourite of our English 

 Aurelians. In his manners likewise, as well as in the 

 varying lustre of his purple plumes, he possesses the 

 strongest claims to their particular attention. In the 

 month of July he makes his appearance in the winged 

 state, and invariably fixes his throne upon the sum- 

 mit of a lofty oak, from the utmost sprigs of which, 

 on sunny days, he performs his aerial excursions ; 

 when the sun is at the meridian, his loftiest flights 

 take place, and about four in the afternoon he re- 

 sumes his station of repose. He ascends to a much 

 greater elevation than any other insect, sometimes 

 mounting higher than the eye can follow ; especially 

 if he happens to quarrel with another Emperor, the 

 monarch of some neighbouring oak: they never meet 



