20 BUTTERFLY COLLECTOR'S 



beautiful tribes of Fritillaries and Blues. Chat/c, too, has it» 

 ilttractious for some of the latter genera, and particularly for 

 Potyommatus Corj/don, which is principally found in chalk 

 pits. 



T'egelaUe earth aflords a harbour to various larots and 

 pupa. 



Butterflies fly generally only in the day. They accompany 

 the sun in his course, and before he sets disappear. With us, 

 says Mr. Samonellc, many of the species are extremely 

 local J and, from the shortness of their lives, require greater 

 assiduity in the collector, and a wider range of search, tlian 

 is generally supposed. As an illustration of this fact, we 

 must observe that the number of Papilionido! found in 

 England, is about seventy-two. Of this number not more 

 than fifty are to be met with within twenty-five miles of 

 Loudon ; and of these several are confined to the vicinity of 

 a chalk-cliff', or are peculiar to a meadow or a certain wood. 

 Even in these situations their appearance in the perfect 

 state is limited but to a few days, and at a certain season of 

 the year. Of the remaining number, not found within this 

 distance from London, some are confined to feus, nearly a 

 hmidred miles distant from the metropolis, and others to the 

 mountains of Scotland ; but they are all equally limited in 

 the times of their appearance and the shortness of their 

 lives. There is also another circumstance in the history of 

 these insects, which must not be passed over in silence ; and 

 that is, there are several species which, from some hitherto 

 unknown cause, appear in the proper season, but in certain 

 years only, when they will be found in abmidance, and pro- 

 bably extended over a va.st track of the country. Tliese, 

 however, disappear, and not a single specimen is to be fonnd 

 for a period of many years, when they will again be seen as 

 plentifiil as before. This is a circumstance that is not con- 



