66 BRITISH BUTTERFLIES. 



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, 

 Yaxley, Whittlesea Mere, Burwell, and Hornsey Eens ; 

 also singly in Lancashire, at Battersea, Pulborough in 

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

 Wight, Hampshire, near Chatham, at Southend, Essex, 

 and on the Cliffs of the South Coast, 



