1 62 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. 



likewise, as well as in the varying lustres 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 summit of a lofty 

 oak, from the utmost sprigs of which, on sunny days, he per- 

 forms his aerial excursions ; and in these, ascends to a much 

 greater elevation than any other insect I have ever seen, some- 

 times 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 without a battle, flying up- 

 wards all the while, and combating with each other as much as 

 possible, after which they will frequently return again to the 

 identical sprigs from whence they ascended. The wings of 

 this fine species are of a stronger texture than those of any 

 other in Britain, and more calculated for that gay and powerful 

 flight which is so much admired by entomologists. 



" The Purple Emperor commences his aerial movements from 

 ten to twelve o'clock in the morning, and does not perform his 

 loftiest flights till noon, decreasing them after this hour, until 

 he quite ceases to fly about four in the afternoon, thus emu- 

 lating the motions of that source of all his strength, the sun. 

 The females, like those of many other species, are very rarely 



seen on the wing Moses Harris 



tells us that 'the females are not met with on the wing so 

 often as the males, some of which are very plentiful, but the 

 females rare to be seen, of which the Purple Emperor is 

 one capital instance. I have been informed Mr. Whitworth 

 caught thirteen in one day, and but one female amongst 

 them.' 



"I can readily credit this, for in three days I took myself twenty- 

 three (nine of them in one day), but never took a female at all. 

 The males usually fly very high, and are only to be taken by a 

 bag-net fixed to the end of a rod twenty or thirty feet long. 

 There have been instances, though very rare, of their settling on 



