4 



miniature. This exit most frequently takes place in early morning, and his 

 wings being tiny things, hang limply from his comparatively ponderous body. 

 Their rapid growth is a matter of marvel, for in about an hour's time they 

 reach their full expanse, and ere many hours are over, they carry him with 

 most enviable celerity through the air. 



Abroad Machaon has a wide range, being found in the North and West 

 of Asia, and the Himalayian mountains? in North Africa; and in Western 

 North America. 



In Europe it is found everywhere, except in the extreme North of the 

 Continent. 



In England, it seems to have been formerly widely and plentifully distrib- 

 uted, but has never been recorded as an inhabitant of Ireland, Scotland, or 

 the Isle of Man. 



This butterfly was figured and described in the first entomological publica- 

 tion extant in Britain, an extensive one in folio, written in the Latin lang- 

 uage, and published at London in the year of our Lord ] 634, by Thomas 

 Mouffet, entitled " Insectorum sine minimorum Animalium Theatrum." 



The next account of it we have is by John Ray, who, in his " Historia 

 Insectorum," published in 1710, mentions that he met with it in Sussex and 

 Essex, and also that he found the caterpillar in Sussex on Pimpinella saxi- 

 fraga. 



In 1717, Petifer gives it as being caught about London and divers counties 

 in England, yet rarely. He calls it the " Royal William," and adds " Its 

 size, beauty, and tail differs it from all others/' 



Benjamin Wilkes writes, "The first brood appears in May, the second 

 towards the end of July. Being in a meadow near Cookham, in Kent, on 

 the 5th day of August, 1748, 1 observed a female Swallow-tail hovering over 

 certain plants, which I found to be the meadow saxifrage, and examining 

 them carefully, I discovered four eggs just laid by the fly, wherewith I was 

 highly pleased. On the 13th of the same month these eggs produced cater- 

 pillars. On the 22nd of September, the caterpillars were full-grown, and 

 fixed themselves in order to change into the chrysalis, which was produced o$ 

 the 26th of September, in which state it still remains (January 20th, 1749.) 

 I fed the caterpillar from its being first hatched, with the green leaves of the 

 common carrot, which it eats plentifully. This fine butterfly may be taken 

 in the meadows and clover fields, about Cookham, near Westram, in Kent, 

 at the times above mentioned. It flies so swiftly that it is vain to follow it, 

 you must, therefore, wait till it settles, and then if you be near, be nimble, 

 and you may catch it without much difficulty 



In 1776, Moses Harris writes of it : "By some aurelians it is called the 



