SWALLOW-TAIL. 49 



being under a slippery bell-glass, for instance, is unable 

 to reach the desirable point of suspension, which it 

 always evinces extreme anxiety to do. By the time the 

 sun is well out, our pet will have his wings thoroughly 

 plumed for flight ; and here a difficulty sometimes pre- 

 sents itself to the entomologist. What is to be done 

 with our new-born Machaon ? It is probably a splendid 

 specimen for the cabinet, and the collector may long to 

 grace his "series" with its virgin splendours. But 

 then there will creep over him the unwelcome sensation, 

 that it is a somewhat cowardly proceeding to foster a 

 bright being into a life that might be all joyousness, 

 and then, taking advantage of his domesticated position, 

 to cut short that life, almost ere commenced, and to 

 forbid those wondrous wings to carry their possessor to 

 even one short day's enjoyment of sunshine and nectar, 

 and the doubtlessly exalted pleasure of mere airy motion 

 itself. Fairly chasing down a butterfly is all well 

 enough ; but this is quite another thing. 



Every one must, however, choose for himself, as to 

 taking the sentimental or the entomological view of the 

 matter. 



Each probably finds its followers, and to the occa- 

 sional prevalence of the more tender sentiment, are 

 probably owing many of those stray Swallow-Tails that 

 turn up here and there in unlikely places. 



The chrysalides, for rearing, may be obtained in the 

 autumn or winter, either from entomologists resident in 

 the localities of the butterfly, or more generally and cer- 

 tainly from the London or Cambridge dealers, who will 

 send them into the country by post for a few pence each. 



The flight of this species is rapid and powerful, and 

 it has a habit of soaring loftily. 



In this country its head quarters are in the fens of 

 Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, and Huntingdonshire. It has 

 been found in some abundance near Cambridge, Norwich, 

 axley, Whittlesea Mere, Burwell, and Hornsey Fens ; 

 also singly in Lancashire, at Battersea, Pulborough in 

 Sussex, near Ashford in Kent, at Balcombe, Isle of 

 E 



