SWALLOW-TAIL. 



PLATE I. FIG. I. 



j]APTLIO MACHAON is the name applied by 

 Linnaeus and most naturalists to this large 

 and beautiful species of Butterfly ; the mean- 

 ing of the first, or generic name, has already been suffi- 

 ciently explained; the second, or specific name, has 

 reference, it is likely, to the peculiar shape of the two 

 lower wings of the insect, from each of which issues, as 

 will be seen by a reference to the plate, a projection 

 shaped like a dagger or knife, the Latin word for which 

 is Madiera. There are only two British Butterflies 

 w 7 hich have wings of this singular form; and it is 

 likely that few of my readers have seen either of them, 

 except, perhaps, in the cases of the British Museum, or 

 some other entomological collection. The species to 

 which our attention is now directed, is the largest 

 Butterfly found in Britain, sometimes measuring as 

 much as three inches and three quarters across the 

 expanded wings, of which it will be seen the ground- 

 colour is yellow, with black markings ; these markings 

 being remarkably bold and distinct, and the broadest 

 of them being powdered over with very small dots, 



