58 Beautiful Butterflies. 



which, look like gold dust ; and some of the- yellow 

 portions have a like sprinkling of little blue dots ; on 

 each hind wing, as it is called, is a patch of a rich 

 purple colour, and on the inner side a red spot like a 

 fiery eye. The body of the insect is like black velvet 

 powdered with gold; and altogether it is so richly 

 dressed, so gracefully formed, and so large of size, as 

 well to deserve the title bestowed upon it by one 

 naturalist, named De Geer, of Papilio Regina, the 

 Queen Butterfly. And where think you does her 

 Queenship delight to hold her court ? On the sunny 

 uplands, and in dry pastures, gay with Nature's gold 

 and silver — the buttercups and daisies? Nay, amid 

 the moist fens and reedy islands, which abound in the 

 shires of Lincoln, Cambridge and Huntingdon ; there 

 it is that the Swallow-tail Butterfly is most plentiful, 

 and may be taken from the beginning of May to the 

 end of August, by those who are venturous enough to 

 follow it into the swampy grounds, amid which it 

 delights to dwell. Here, too, may be found the beau- 

 tifully-marked green and yellow caterpillar, with its 

 black bands, and rows of little rings like eyelet holes 

 across the back, feeding away upon the marsh parsley, 

 the wild carrot, and the fennel, and other plants which 

 flourish in such moist situations. From June to Sep- 

 tember is the feasting time ; in the latter month the 

 change into a chrysalis takes place, and a curiously- 



