A Penny Weekly Magazine of Nfitural History. 



No. 115. AUGUST 19tii, 1882. Vol. 3. 



BUTTERFLIES. 



/^UR young Entomologists are natu- 

 ^ rally most interested in Butter- 

 flies. The desire to complete their sets 

 of tliese, rather than of moths, is natural 

 enough. Their position at tlic head 

 of our lists would be enough to create 

 this desire, if there were no other 

 reason ; but their limited number, and 

 distinct separation, as well as their day 

 flying habits, all combine to attract the 

 attention of beginners. Many enquir- 

 ies are made of us from time to time, 

 about one or another, and though the 

 papers on British Butterflies, published 

 in Yols. 1 & 2 of this magazine, con- 

 tain all needed information, it is mixed 

 up there with much for which begin-- 

 ners do not care. "We, therefore, pur- 

 pose here, to give a very brief account 

 of the various butterflies recoi'nised as 



o 



British, giving sucli information only as 

 we think our younger readers require. 



There arc sixty-four butterflies clear- 

 ly entitled to a place on our lists. One 

 of these, alas ! nui^t be relegated to 

 the "has bcens.'' It—the Large Cop- 

 per, C. disjjur — is no longer to be 



found, and as it has no very exact re- 

 presentative in Europe, the existing 

 specimens are proportionately highly 

 valued. 



PAPILIO MACHAON. 

 Tiis Swallow Tail. — Formerly 

 more widely distributed, but now al- 

 most or entirely conflned to AVicken 

 Fen, in Cambridgeshire, where it is 

 still abundant. It flics from J\Iay to 

 July. The larva feeds on milk parsley 

 {Feuca>danum palustre), and other 

 umbelliferous plants. In conflnement 

 it will eat garden carrot, and is very 

 easily reared. The pupa is suspen- 

 ded by the tail, has a silken band 

 round the body, and remains over the 

 winter. 



GONEPTERYX RIIAMNI. 

 Tiiii) BiiiMsTONE. — Common all over 

 except in the north, frequenting lanes 

 and open places. It emerges about 

 the middle of July, and passes the 

 winter in the perfect state, to pair anil 

 lay its eggs in spring. The larva 

 feeds on buckthorn, an I the range of 

 the species is limited by the rang(^ of 

 the food ])lants, wlucii do not grow 

 north of Yorkshire. 



