294 



THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



whose appearance here was not absolutely 

 impossible. It was only necessary for a 

 writer to state that " some one had told him, 

 that some one had said" they had seen a 

 specimen, and down went the species as a 

 native of our island. Haworth was the first 

 to record Apulia as British. He never saw a 

 British specimen, but he had recently heard 

 that it had been taken in Scotland. Hau Lep. 

 Brit, i, p. 29 of preface, Donovan figured it, 

 and said he was induced to do so " on the 

 assurance of Mr. Haworth that he was recently 

 informed the species had been taken in 

 Scotland. It would afford us much pleasure 

 could the particulars of its captures be sub- 

 mitted to our readers, but we have been 

 unable to procure any farther information on 

 the subject."— Donovan 's British Insects, plate 

 433. On evidence like this the species was 

 admitted to our lists, where it remained until 

 excluded by Mr. Doubleday, as in the first 

 species named. Since Donovan's time evi- 

 dence more or less trustworthv has been 

 published, which, if authentic, would only 

 establish the fact that a stray specimen or 

 t 70 have been seen or taken in Britain, cer- 

 t -.inly not that it is a native of our island. 

 Several of them are published on the last 

 page of Newman's British Butterflies, the 

 last of which is certainly curious. Mr. 

 Henry Austin records in the Zoologist for 

 1856 that he "yesterday met a gentleman 

 who assured me that he saw Apollo at Hdn- 

 vjell about six vears ago. He chased it, but 

 •■■ ithout suceo >.,."' Ananon} T mous gentleman 

 seeing Apoli; at Kan " ell, of all places in the 

 world, is certainly dpubtful testimony. 



Imago. — Very thinly clothed with scales, 

 white, clouded with dark grey ; fore wing 

 with 6 black spots ; hind wing with two red 

 -pots, with black border, and often a white 

 centre. At the anal angle are other two 

 spots that are sometimes red. The under 

 side of hind wing has six red spots. 



Larva.-- " Pubescent, velvety black, with 

 orange yell w dot^, and small bluish 

 t nbercles. " — Kirl >y . 



Pupa.— Regular in shape, covered with a 

 bluish powder, and enclosed in a loose silken 

 .web, or cocoon. 



Food Plants.— Saxifrages and crassu- 

 laceae. — Kirby's European Butterflies. Sedum 

 telephium. — Kirby's European Butterflies and 

 Moths. 



Times of Appearance.— The larva is 



found in May and June, the imago from June 

 to August. 



Habitat- — Mountainous districts in 

 Europe and Asia, but not in that portion of 

 Europe nearest to Britain, which makes it 

 less likely ever to have been an inhabitant of 

 [ our island. It does, however, occur in Scan- 

 dinavia, and as there was communication 

 between Norway and the Isle of Lewis, where 

 a specimen was said to be taken there, it was 

 conjectured it might have been brought from 

 Norway. 



Variation. — Apollo varies much in depth 

 of color, and in the size and extent of the 

 spots and markings. Only one variety is 

 named Hesebolu;. Nord., which, according to 

 Staudinger, appears to be larger, the male 

 whiter, and the female more obscured. 



Jul}' is a pleasant month for collecting, and 

 few studies are more conducive to the health 

 and happiness of young people — either male 

 or female — than that of Entomology ; and 

 any. female who can turn away from the 

 pomp and pride of this world and devote her 

 attention to reading the great Book of Nature 

 will find a most glorious reward. If any such 

 has not yet begun to collect begin now. 

 Now ! is the time. During this, and the 

 next two or three months she will find as 

 many species as she will have time to catch 

 and set, besides numerous kinds of larvae, 

 and by the end of the year may reckon on 

 having a fair start. Don't delay ; don't put 

 it off till the beginning of a new year, as it 

 will then be cold, and entomology will not 

 then present one-half the attractions it does 

 now. — From the Naturalist Almanack, 1876. 



