52 



NATURAL HISTORY. 



then soaring out of sight with equal suddenness. All these large Butterflies appear to have a very- 

 lofty and powerful flight, and the difficulty of obtaining them is frequently the chief cavise of 

 their rarity in collections. 



The commonest of the European Swallow-tails, and the only one found in England, is 

 Papilio machaon. It is a sulphur-yellow Butterfly, with black markings, and borders to the 

 fore wings. The hind wings are tailed, and their dark border encloses a row of large bluish spots, 



:uid there is a large red spot 

 at the anal angle. The cater- 

 pillar is green, with black 

 stripes spotted with orange on 

 the sides, and feeds on various 

 umbelliferous plants, includ- 

 ing the common carrot. In 

 England this Butterfly is 

 confined to the fenny districts 

 in the east, but on the Con- 

 tinent it is quite a common 

 species in gardens, clover- 

 fields, and woods. 



Many East Indian or 

 African species are black, 

 spotted or banded with green, 

 and several of the latter feed 

 on the orange-tree ; but a far 

 more remarkable African But- 

 terfly is P. merope. The male 



is a cream-coloured Butterfly, with black borders to the fore wings, marked with a pale spot near the 

 tip. The hind wings are tailed, and marked with a more or less connected row of black spots ; but the 

 females are all tailless, and have no resemblance whatever to the male in either shape or colour, but 

 resemble various African species of Danaince. One female is black, with ochreous spots and mark- 

 ings ; another is black, with a very broad white band across the hind wings (sometimes extending 

 nearly to the base), and continued on the inner margin of the fore wings. There is also a broad white 

 transverse band towards the tip of the fore wings, and several smaller white spots. Another female is 

 similar to this, but the pale markings are deep ochreous-yellow, the hind wings being wholly of this 

 colour, except a black border. In others, again, the fore wings are black and white, and the hind 

 wings are of some shade of yellow, with black borders. Other species of Papilio are known in which 

 the females differ equally from the males, or which are polymorphic; but this Butterfly is peculiarly 

 remarkable, because a closely allied species occurs in Madagascar, in which the female only differs from 

 the male by the presence of a broad black bar on the costa of the fore wings. 



The genus Leptocircus includes a few small black, green, and transparent East Indian Butter- 

 flies, of a very peculiar shape, which will be seen in the figure on p. 51. 



FAMILY V. HESPERIID^E. 



The Hesperiidce, the last family of Butterflies, although numbering at least 1,500 species, need not 

 detain us long, as very few are found in Europe, and the foreign species call for but little remark. 

 They are mostly small Butterflies, with thick bodies and comparatively small wings. The six legs are 

 all fully developed in both sexes, and the head is large. The antenna?, instead of being placed close 

 together, as in other Butterflies, are placed widely apart, and are often hooked at the tip. The 

 caterpillars are short, tapering at both ends, and the head is large. They generally live between 

 leaves loosely spun together, and construct a slight cocoon in the same manner. The Butterflies are 

 called Skippers, from their short jerking flight. 



The first genus (Thymele) is confined to tropical America, and may be known by the hind wings 

 being produced into a rather long, broad tail. The Butterflies are brown, often greenish towards the 



