334< Papilio Podalirius, a British Insect. 



Podalirius as British. Mr. Stephens chose to consider this 

 * absurd,' giving, as a reason, that it was a geographical im- 

 possibility." Mr. Stephens, in the succeeding Number of the 

 Magazine, p. 64-3., stated that the opinion given by him upon 

 the indigenous nature of the above insect, and referred to by 

 Mr. Dale, was published two years prior to the paper of the 

 latter gentleman in the Magazine of' Natural History, vol iii. 

 p. 333. It appeared, therefore, that Mr. Dale had been 

 guilty of "a gross misstatement" and "palpable absurdity." 



In commencing the new series of the Magazine at the begin- 

 ning of the present year, among the manuscript communica- 

 tions was a letter of Mr. Dale's, in answer to Mr. Stephens, 

 which we were led to put on one side, from an apprehension 

 that its publication would not settle the point in dispute, and 

 from a wish to exclude any matter involving a personal re- 

 criminatory discussion. Upon a reconsideration of the sub- 

 ject, we feel that, as Mr. Stephens animadverted upon Mr. 

 Dale in very severe terms, the present letter ought not to 

 have been withheld ; and we therefore now publish it entire. 

 It is clear that Mr. Dale committed an error with regard 

 to dates ; but, as it was one which did not affect the real 

 question at issue, we think that there was no occasion for the 

 comments which accompanied Mr. Stephens's correction. — 

 Ed. 



" Insects. Papilio Podalirius is a British Insect. — As the 

 colour which Mr. Stephens has given to my observations may 

 lead those who are unacquainted with me to believe that I 

 have not the high regard for truth which he pretends to, I 

 trust I shall be excused for clearing away the mist which 

 he, as usual, has so disingenuously introduced in the place of 

 argument. It is true that Mr. Stephens's volume was pub- 

 lished before your Vol. III., where I gave the different 

 authorities for P. Podalirius being British ; but it is equally 

 true that those authorities, or most of them, had been printed 

 at various times elsewhere, and that Mr. Stephens had the 

 free and unlimited use of my MSS., which contained the 

 dates and localities above alluded to, long prior to the publi- 

 cation of his first volume. This quibble, therefore, of the 

 learned author of the Illustrations no more affects the question 

 than his having quoted Ray* incorrectly, nor having omitted 

 part of his own words, f It was the imputation cast upon 

 myself, and those who had avowed the belief that P. Podalirius 

 was British, that I disdained ; and I now ask, whether he has 

 proved the truth of his assertions, and the absurdity of those 



" * It is ' Prope Libernum portum in Etruria, invenimus atque,' Sec. — 

 Ray." 



" j- Tt is 'any longer as a British species.' (Illnst. )" 



