158 



or appear only singly. It is powerful enough on the wing to cross the North 

 Sea with a fair wind from almost aoy part of the Continent. It is seldom seen 

 in England in the spring, but a specimen in the collection of Mr. J. E. 

 Robson was taken on the 8th February, 1869, crawling out of some burning 

 underwood near Castle Eden Dene, County of Durham. 



Vanessa Antwpa is common during most of the year in the greater part of 

 Europe, North Africa, Northern and Western Asia, and North America from 

 the Hudson Bay Territory to Venezuela. It is absent from the Steppes of 

 South Russia, and is very uncertain in its appearance in Britain, and in some 

 of the adjacent parts of Europe. 



The first account of its occurrence in England is given by Benjamin 

 Wilkes in his " English Moths and Butterflies," published in \ 7 73, thus, 

 "The Willow Butterfly about the middle of August, 1748, two of this 

 species of butterfly were taken near Camberwell, in Surrey. But in all my 

 practice I have never seen any of them in the fields ; so thej must be looked 

 upon as very great rarities. They are very common in Germany, and Mr. 

 Rosel tells us, the caterpillar feeds on willow, and may be found all the 

 summer." 



Moses Harris, in his " Aurelian/ ; 1766, writes, "The Grand Surprise or 

 Camberwell Beauty. This is one of the scarcest flies of any kind known in 

 England, nor do we know of above three or four that were ever found here, 

 the first two were taken in the month of August, 1748, in Cool Arbour Lane, 

 near Camberwell, the last in St. George's Fields, near Newiugton, the begin- 

 ning of that month ; but as these appeared very much faded and otherwise 

 abused, I conclude they appear from the chrysalis, with the Peacock, about 

 the middle of July, and being of that class it is reasonable to suppose they 

 live through the winter in the fly state, and lay their eggs in spring that pro- 

 duce flies the July following ; for in the same manner do all the flies of this 

 class, and as all that have been taken were found flying about willow trees, it 

 is the common opinion of Aurelians that their caterpillars feed thereon, but 

 their caterpillar and chrysalis, is to us entirely unknown, and the food a mere 

 conjecture. I intend to make a strict search concerning them, and should 

 I make any discoveries worthy note, I shall find a proper place and repeat it. 

 The fly in the plate was drawn and coloured from a beautiful large female 

 in the cabinet of Charles Belliard, Esq., which is the finest we have in 

 England." 



Lewin, in his "Insects of Great Britain," 1795, writes, "Three of these 

 beautiful and rare insects were taken in the year 1748, near Camberwell, in 

 Surrey; from which time until the year 1789, we have no account of any 

 being seen in England, The middle of August, 1789, I was surprised with 



