6 





B 





favourite of our English Aurelians. In the month of July he makes his appearance 

 in the winged state, and invariably fixes his throne upon the summit of a lofty oak, 

 from the utmost sprigs of which, on sunny days, he performs his aerial excursions ; 

 when the sun is at the meridian his loftiest flights take place, and about four in the 

 afternoon he resumes his station of repose. He ascends to a much greater elevation 

 than any other insect, sometimes mounting higher than the eye can follow ; espe- 

 cially if he happens to quarrel with another Emperor, the monarch of some neigh- 

 bouring oak ; they never meet without a battle, flying upwards all the while, and 

 combating with each other as much as possible, after which they will frequently 

 return again to the identical sprigs from whence they ascended. The wings of this 

 fine species are of a stronger texture than those of any other in Britain ; and more 

 calculated for that gay and powerful flight which is so much admired by Entomologists. 

 The females, like those of many other species, are rarely seen on the wing ; in three 

 days I captured twenty-three ; nine of them in one day, and never took a female 

 at all. The males fly very high, and are only to be taken by a bag-net, fixed to 

 the end of a rod twenty or thirty feet long. There have been instances, though 

 rare, of their settling on the ground near puddles of water, and being there taken. 

 When the Purple Emperor is within reach, no fly is more easily taken, for he is so 

 very bold and fearless that he will not move from his settling place until you quite 

 push him off ; you may even tip the ends of the wings, and be suffered to strike 

 again." 



CHLORISSA THYMIARIA. THE SMALL GREEN HOUSEWIFE MOTH. 



Plate III. fig. med. sinistr. 



Synonyms. Phalsena (Geometra) Thymiaria, Linn.1 Haworth. Albin's Ins. pi. 48. fig. 81. d — g. 

 Geometra Vernaria, Fahricius. Donovan Brit. Ins. vol. 9. pi. 310. 

 Chlorissa Thymiaria, Stephens. 



Upper Side. This moth is totally of a blueish green colour, hath a narrow waved line 

 crossing each wing, the fringe is checkered with light and dark green. 



The under side is similar to the upper. 



The caterpillars feed on white-thorn, and are full fed about the latter end of May : they 

 are of various colours, some being green, others brown, as may be seen in the plate ; but the 

 green sort are most frequently met with. They change into the chrysalis state the end of May, 

 spun up in a net-like web ; and the moths appear the middle of June. 



Expansion of the wings nearly one inch. 









YPONOMEUTA PADELLA. THE SMALL ERMINE MOTH. 



Plate III. fig. k — m (inf. sinistr.) 



Synonyms Phalsena (Tinea) Padella, Linn. Syst.Nat. ii. 885. Wilkes Eng. Moths, pi. 5. 

 Yponomeuta Padella, Latreille, Leach, Stephens, Curtis. 

 Phalsena Evonymella, Berkenhout (sednec Linn.) Donov. Brit. Ins. 1. pi. 9. 



Upper Side. The superior wings are of a pale lead colour, covered with small black specks. 

 The inferior wings are of dark lead colour, having a pretty deep fringe. The female lavs her 



