421 BEITISH BUTTERFLIES. 



been seen in the fens .... He got a painting of the butterfly, 

 coloured by his father, and went down to the fens and showed it to 

 people there, but no one knew anything about it. Mr. Drake, at the 

 i Checkers,' told him that a man lodged there who worked in the fens, 

 cutting reeds, who was a most likely person to know. When the 

 man returned from work Standish showed him the drawing and said, 

 *Do you know anything about a butterfly like this?' 'Yes,' said 

 the man, 'I saw some to-day.' ' ' Well,' said Standish, ' what shall I 

 give you to take me to the spot.' ' No,' said the man, ' 1 intend to 

 take a lot up to London.' Standish then offered him five shillings to 

 take him to the place, but the man would not divulge the locality, 

 even for a promise of two shillings for each insect captured. The 

 landlord, however, told Standish where the man worked, and he was 

 successful in finding the place and took a fine lot of P. hippotho'e. It 

 soon got wind among the folks at the fen that they were worth two 

 shillings each in London, and two men came from Cambridge and 

 secured a large quantity, which they took to London in boxes full and 

 sold them at sixpence each. I went down about three years after 

 and got some of the larva?. They appeared to be very local, and 

 most numerous where their foodplant — the water-dock — was most 

 abundant. The larva? were collected by all persons, young and old. 

 I bought two dozen larva? of an old woman for ninepence, from which 

 I bred some fine specimens, and sold them at one shilling each. Mr. 

 Cole, at Holme Fen, took a large quantity of them. His back-yard 

 was quite close to their locality. The last time I was there Mr. Cole 

 said he had not seen one for some years. There was the foodplant 

 in plenty on the same spot but no larva?. They had been too closely 

 hunted for" (Ent., xvi., p. 130). The facts that its foodplant existed 

 "in plenty" long after the insect had gone and that "the larva? had 

 been too closely hunted for," speak volumes. The records of more 

 recent authors are, of course, all culled from the ancient publications. 

 Even as late as 1857, Stainton gives two species of British coppers, 

 besides Chrysophanus phlaeas. These are: (1) " Chrysophanus dispar 

 (large copper), and (2) C/irysophanns cliryaei* (the purple-edged copper)." 

 Of 0. dispar he writes: "1", 7'". Bright copper-red, with one or 

 more black spots on each wing; hind margins black. U.-s. — H.-w., 

 pale blue, with distinct black spots, vii-viii. Larva green, with a 

 darker dorsal stripe, and one paler stripe on each side (Freyer). On 

 Bumex hydrolapathum (great water-dock) and 11. aquaticus, vi. 

 Formerly found at Whittlesea Mere and Yaxley" (Manual, L, p. 55). 

 Stainton then quotes Mr. Bond as follows: " You are quite right in 

 supposing that I have had personal acquaintance with living ('. dispar. 

 I much fear that I shall never have the pleasure again, as I am quite 

 sure they have disappeared from the Cambridge and Huntingdonshire 

 fens. All I can tell you about their habits is this, that they were very 

 active and shy, and would only fly when the sun shone; they would 

 always settle on a thistle when they could find one in bloom, flying off 

 to attack any insect, no matter what, that might come anywhere near 

 them ; not always returning, but generally passing on to another 

 place. It was very little use following them if you missed your first 

 stroke with the net, as they went away like the wind, and seldom let 

 you get a second chance; indeed, it was difficult to follow them, as 

 keeping your eyes on them and the boggy places was rather a difficult 



