n8 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. 



near Cambridge." Haworth, in 1803, who first described the 

 British insect as a distinct species, says that it was taken by 

 his friends, Mr. W. and Dr. F. Scrimshire, in reedy places in 

 Cambridgeshire; and formerly in Wales, by the celebrated 

 botanist Hudson. (Apropos of this last, and unconfirmed, state- 

 ment, I may say that I have been told that Butterflies some- 

 what resembling this species have been seen by persons riding 

 through the country on the borders of Wales. Without 

 attaching any importance to casual reports of this kind, I 

 think it my duty to record them, in case of their giving a clue 

 which may possibly be worth following up.) Donovan re- 

 corded the insect from Scotland, which Haworth says is an 

 error. Curtis sta'es, in 1824, that it was first discovered in 

 Wales by Hudson, and was subsequently captured in con- 

 siderable abundance by Messrs. Standish, who went to Whittle- 

 sea Mere, Huntingdonshire, in expectation of finding it. They 

 informed him that the end of July was undoubtedly the right 

 season for this insect, although they met with it at the 

 beginning of August, flying among reeds ; it was very active, 

 and in windy weather concealed itself amongst the highest 

 reeds, where they found the Butterfly just emerged from the 

 chrysalis, drying its wings. 



At that time the Butterfly was probably generally distributed 

 over the fens of Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire, but 

 Whittlesea Mere and Yaxley Fen (about two miles apart, 

 though standing on opposite sides of the boundary between 

 the counties just mentioned) continued to be the two chief 

 localities for the Butterfly, until they were drained. It was 

 also recorded from Holme Fen in the same neighbour- 

 hood, as well as from Bardolph Fen in Norfolk, and 

 Benacre in Suffolk, but strange to say, never seems to have 

 been very common in the two latter counties. It was already 

 noted by West wood, in 1841, as getting scarce, owing 



