Beautiful Butterflies. 67 



of hair along the back. The angular-shaped chrysalis 

 is pale brown, marked with black lines and golden 

 spots. It has a curious projection, like a knob, on the 

 back, and where the head of the insect is are two dis- 

 tinct lumps. It is found suspended by the point to a 

 honeysuckle or some other stem. 



English naturalists, we believe, have not been fortu- 

 nate enough to discover this gilded mummy case, al- 

 though many a hunt has taken place in the hope of 

 doing so ; neither has the insect in the larva state been 

 found in this country. Those few who have been fortu- 

 nate enough to have opportunities of observing the fly 

 on the wing, have been struck with the peculiar grace 

 of its movements. Thus the Rev. Mr. Haworth says, 

 " The graceful elegance displayed by this charming 

 species when sailing on the wing, is perhaps greater 

 than can be found in any other we have in Britain." 

 And the Rev. Everett Sheppard tells us that " In its 

 beautiful flight, when it skims aloft, it rivals the Purple 

 Emperor, which it strongly resembles in appearance. 

 It seems, however (unlike the latter), to avoid the sun- 

 beams ; for it frequents the glades of woods, where it 

 rapidly insinuates itself by the most beautiful evolu- 

 tions and placid flight through the tall underwood, on 

 each side of the glades, appearing and disappearing 

 like so many little fairies," and seeming, as the rev. 

 gentleman might have added, to say to the pursuer, 



