20 



" Gazophylaci Naturae et A.rtis," published at London, in the year of our 

 Lord, 1702, wrote thus "Vernon's Half Mourner. Papilio Leucomelanm 

 Cantabrigiensis nobis. I do not know of any that has met with this in Eng- 

 land, but Mr. Vernon about Cambridge, and there very rare/' He adds in 

 his "Papilionum Britannia? Icones," published in 1717, "This has also been 

 found about Hampstead in July or August." 



In Bay's " Historia Insectorum," published m 1719, we read "A. D. 

 Vernon habui, qui in agro Cantabrigiense earn invenit. Eamdem D. Jezreel 

 Jones circa Lisbonam, observavit, reference D. Petiver." He calls it "The 

 Greenish Marbled Half Mourner." 



In his " Insects of Great Britain," published in 1795, Lewin informs us that 

 " It was named the Bath White, from a piece of needle work executed at 

 Bath by a young lady, from a specimen of this insect, said to have been taken 

 near that place. On my examining the insects purchased by J. T. Swainson, 

 Esq., at the sale of the late Duchess Dowager of Portland's subjects in 

 Natural History, I found this insect mixed with the female Orange-Tip ; and 

 it then appeared to me that some person collected this box of butterflies, and 

 sent them to the Duchess, and from the great resemblance of this to the 

 female Orange Tip, the difference of this rare species passed without being 

 noticed." 



Donovan in his " Natural History of British Insects" published in 1796, 

 observes " That it is only found in the environs of Bath." 



In the Preface to Haworth's " Lepidoptera Britannica," written in J uly, 

 1803, we read thus " Since the body of this work was printed, my friend, the 

 Eev. Dr. Abbott, of Bedford, has informed me that he took in May last, near 

 Clapham Park wood, in Bedfordshire, a specimen of Papilio podalirius in 

 the winged state ; and that he also took in J une last, in White wood, near 

 Gamlingay in Cambridgeshire, the Papilio daplidice in a faded state, and 

 likewise Papilio lathonia. These are three extremely interesting species, and 

 there is not a British specimen of any of them extant, except the above." 



Dr. Abbott died in 1817, and his insects were purchased after his death 

 by Mr. Dale. 



The next specimen, a female, was taken by J. F. Stephens, Esq. on the 

 14th day of August, 1818, in the meadow behind Dover Castle. Another 

 was taken that same year, by Mr. Miller, at Keynstone, between Bath and 

 Bristol. 



None appear to have been taken again till August, 1826, when it 

 was met with by Mr. Leplastrier, at Dover, and by him again in August, 

 1835, and 1842 : the latter specimen fortunately laid some eggs, from which 

 Mr. Leplastrier reared four fine females and one male the following May. 



