THE JjARYM 



OF THD 



BRITISH BUTTERFLIES 



Papilio Machaon. 

 Plate I, fig. 1. 



In offering my notes on this history of this species, I 

 know I am going upon ground to some extent already 

 well trodden, and it is, therefore, not on the plea of 

 telling anything quite new that I put them forward; 

 but, knowing that there is now, more than ever, an 

 interest felt in obtaining exact information as to the 

 process of growth or development in the earlier stages 

 of various forms, and being conscious that I have done 

 my best in this case, I still hope that my work may 

 be of use ; I only wish I could impart to others any- 

 thing approaching the pleasure I myself felt in 

 watching and recording what follows. 



In 1868 I had reared the larvae from two eggs found 

 in Burwell Fen by Mr. W. R. Jeffrey, and two more 

 in 1871 from eggs found by Mr. C. Gr. Barrett in 

 Horning Fen, and had taken several figures in either 

 case, but when, in 1879, Mr. W. H. Edwards, of Coal- 

 burg, West Virginia, put some questions to me on the 

 number of moults and other points connected with 

 them, I found I could not give such positive answers 

 as I could have wished. 



I determined, therefore, if possible, to rear the larva 

 again, and Mr. W. H. B. Fletcher most kindly helped 

 to bring my project within range of possibility by 



' VOL. I. 1 



