32 NOTE ON THE CAMBEBWELL BEAUTY BUTTEBFLY. 



any butterfly could perform. I think if such attempts were made 

 the voyagers must soon come to grief, and that we should fre- 

 quently find their dead bodies washed up by the surf on our 

 coasts. Now, the only instance known to me of the insect in 

 question having been found drowned, is that mentioned by Mr. 

 Wailes in our Club's Transactions, Yol. III., p. 204, of it having 

 frequently been found floating on the river Tees. But it is also 

 stated that all so found had white bordered wings, and had most 

 probably been bred in the vicinity of that river, a locality which 

 has always been noticed as singularly productive of this fine but- 

 terfly. Others, wishful to account for the perfect condition of 

 many of the specimens, suppose them to have been bred here 

 from eggs deposited by immigrants, which had previously flown 

 over in limited numbers. Against this theory the same objec- 

 tion may be urged, the distance is too great, even with the help 

 of the most favourable breezes. All collectors know how un- 

 willing insects are to take wing in high winds, and those who 

 frequent the sea'-coast must often have seen how quickly such 

 as do so are blown into a watery grave. A far more likely 

 means of passage is presented by shipping, which might easily 

 bring over hybernating individuals in chinks of timber, or in 

 other places ; but in that case specimens would occasionally be 

 found on board the ships, and should any have been able to reach 

 the shore, their progeny ought afterwards to be found most nu- 

 merous in the vicinity of sea-ports, neither of which is the fact. 

 Although I have had many things brought to me from foreign- 

 going ships, I have never heard of an insect like this (which 

 is too conspicuous to escape notice) having been either taken 

 or seen, and instead of being most numerous near the ports of 

 entry, the butterfly is scattered pretty equally over the country. 

 Such being the case, I think we must abandon the " flown 

 over" theory as untenable, and may safely conclude that all the 

 examples taken are truly native born. The species is one which 

 has always been remarkably sporadic : its near relations the 

 Painted Lady, and Red Admiral, have the same uncertainty in 

 their appearance ; one year they are in countless profusion, and 



