THE SWALLOW-TAIL 27 



PLATE XIV 

 THE SWALLOW-TAIL (1 and 2) 



This is the finest of all our British butterflies, 

 and a most beautiful creature it is as it flits to 

 and fro in the sunshine. But I am afraid that 

 you are not very likely to see it alive, for it is only 

 found in the fens of Norfolk and Cambridgeshire, 

 while even there it is not as common as it used 

 to be. But if ever you spend a summer holiday 

 in the Norfolk Broads you may, perhaps, see one 

 of these lovely butterflies flying swiftly past you. 



The caterpillar is almost as handsome as the 

 butterfly. It is bright green in colour, with 

 velvety-black rings, which are spotted with red. 

 And just behind its head it has an odd little 

 forked organ, from which it pours out a drop of 

 liquid when it is frightened. This liquid has a 

 very nasty smell, and no doubt it prevents birds 

 from feeding upon the caterpillar. 



This caterpillar feeds upon hog's fennel, wild 

 carrot, and marsh milk-parsley. When it has 

 reached its full size it climbs up the stem of a 

 reed, fastens itself to it by spinning a kind of 

 silken belt round its body, and turns into a 

 yellowish-green chrysalis, from which the butter- 

 fly appears during the following summer. 



