46 
HAMLYN'S MENAGERIE MAGAZINE. 
most treasured possessions at South Kensington 
and elsewhere have been carefully ear-marked by 
our bland visitors for transmission abroad on the 
day when the extension of German kultur permits 
free access to them, a day, that in view of, present 
events, is likely to be delayed. 
-#- 
FOREIGN BUTTERFLIES IN 
CAPTIVITY. 
By F. Finn, B.A., F.Z.S. 
E.urope being poor in the more striking forms 
of original life, and these islands being at the 
far end of it, we are not well off for native butter- 
flies, though our "Peacock" would hold its own 
in most company. Those we have are all 1 found 
elsewhere, but anyone who has seen some of the 
magnificent foreign butterflies on the wing", or 
even in collections, must have longed to be able 
to see some of them here, even in captivity, as 
we have foreign small birds. In the old insect 
house at the Zoo, a few foreign kinds were kept, 
but only in small cases where they soon became 
spoilt, and though in the new house the accommo- 
dation is vastly superior, the butterflies so far 
shown have not been worthy of it, being mostly 
common native kinds. 
It is private people that lead the way in man- 
aging foreign live-stock now-a-days, and in "The 
Entomologist" for 1915 I have come across a 
series of most interesting articles by Mr. Cecil 
Floersheim, a Member of the Entomological 
Society, on his experience in keeping several 
species of the most aristocratic family of butter- 
flies, the Swallow tails, in a butterfly house well 
supplied with growing plants, in which they lived 
their natural life from egg to perfect insects. The 
species he has kept, besides our native Swallow- 
tail, now very local here, are several from North 
America and Eastern Asia, as follows : — 
The Pipe-vine Swallow-tail (Laertias phile- 
nor). This magnificent North American butterfly 
is about four inches across the wings, and of a 
glossy dark blue-green colour. It is particularly 
hardy and easily managed, and is little attacked 
by other insects, and by birds, so that it can be 
reared in the open, and Mr. Floersheim has had 
many at large. Its caterpillar does not feed on 
any native plant, but on various species of Pipe- 
vine (AristolochiaJ, of which Aristolochia sipho, 
the "Dutchman's Pipe," is grown in the open 
here. Aristolochia clematitis has run wild here, 
but the caterpillars do not seem to take to it, so 
the butterfly has not much chance to establish 
itself in the wild state. 
The Giant American Swallow-tail (Papilio 
cresphontes) is even larger, but less distinctive 
as compared with our Swallow-tail, being also 
black and yellow, though rather differently 
marked. Thus the fact that Mr. Floersheim found 
that though it paired it would not lay, is not so 
disappointing as it might be otherwise. Birds 
are said to dislike it. 
The Spice-bush Swallow-tail (Euphoeades 
troilus) is a big insect, about four inches across, 
and black, with a border of small white spots 
along the front wings, and spotted and shaded 
with blue-green on the hind ones, which are also 
decorated with a few red spots. This American 
species has done well both in the house and at 
liberty, breeding freely. Though said to eat 
lilac and magnolia, it was found here only to feed 
on the Spice-bush (Lindera benzoin). 
(To be continued.) 
® 
GENERAL NOTES. 
By John D. Hamlyn. 
THAT the well know fancier Mr. J. B. Housden, 
has received War Office notices in the last 
three weeks that three of his sons have been 
wounded. 
This week-end he had news that another 
son and son-in-law, also wounded, are both 
doing well in hospital. 
THAT the "East London Observer," September 
28th, records the following : — 
"At the last meeting of the Stepney 
Board of Guardians, Councillor John D. 
Hamlyn was presented, in recognition of his 
admirable presidential services during the 
Chairman's illness, with a Chairman's ham- 
mer, bearing the following inscription : — 
'Presented by the Guardians of the Stepney 
Union to Councillor John D. Hamlyn as a 
mark of their deep appreciation of the unfail- 
ing courtesv and impartiality over their meet- 
ings during 1917-18.' the Rev. Father 
Higley, in making the presentation, ex- 
pressed the hope that this token of their 
respect would be| prized by the learned Coun- 
cillor throughout life, and Mr. Hamlyn, in 
acknowledgment, assured the Board that on 
this point they need have no doubt." 
THAT the following advertisement appeared in 
"Cage Birds" lately: — 
"The Amazon Parrot I had from you in 
July is a good bird. It, amongst other 
things, sings the chorus, 'Jesus is calling me 
to Heaven. ' This it did when you sent it. 
When anvthing is overhead it calls out 'aero- 
