184 THE SWALLOW TAIL. 



are no less correspondent with the same ; but those of the 

 female, which, instead of yellow, are of a greenish white, 

 resemble, perhaps yet more nearly, the leaf of a poplar on its 

 under side. The dye of the antennae that purplish pink, so 

 frequent upon tender leaf and flower stems, also the clothing 

 of the body, a soft, satiny down, like that by which stalks and 

 seed-pods are so often invested, are all alike accordant with the 

 floral character of this most elegant flutterer of the spring. 

 This pretty butterfly comes of a pretty caterpillar, with a 

 smooth green coat, dotted or shagreened with black, and 

 marked by a whitish line along the back and sides. It is said 

 to feed usually on the leaves of buckthorn and alder. 



The term Papilio, which was used by Linnaeus to designate 

 all diurnal or day-flying Lepidopterae, has now become much 

 restricted, including, amongst a company of brilliant foreigners, 

 only one or two native species. 



Of the latter is the " Swallow Tail," 1 a beautiful insect, ap- 

 proaching more nearly to some of the tropic butterflies, both in 

 form and colouring, than any others which our island produces. 

 Perhaps, in favour of its richer painting, we ought to have 

 given it the precedence usually assigned it over our favourite 

 Brimstone, with all its simple elegance ; but besides being of 

 later, it is also of more rare appearance, and we have a pre- 

 ference always for bespeaking attention to the beautiful things 

 that are most common, rather than to those which cross our 

 path less often. If, however, that path should lead us through 

 the counties of Hampshire, Middlesex, Cambridge, or Norfolk, 

 we are not unlikely, from May to August, to meet the Swallow 

 Tail ; and he is a Papilio, we can tell you, much too distin- 

 guished to pass by unrecognized, if we can possibly prevent his 

 cutting, at once, the air and our acquaintance. 



Compared with the Brimstone he is truly a magnificent 



1 Papilio Machaon. 



