76 
THE ENTOMOLOGIST’S WEEKLY INTELLIGENCER. 
that could be desired, so that we were 
soon up and laying the foundulion to a 
hard day’s work by a substantial break- 
fast ; then our battle-cry was “ Death to 
the Emperors!” The principal object 
of my trip was to visit the head-quarters 
of that lovely insect, Apatura Iris. My 
friend had procured two long poles for 
our nets, so, all being ready, we started 
on our journey, distant some live miles 
north-east of Balcoinbe. The country 
through which we passed was delightful 
to the naturalist, principally woody, in- 
tersected with gurgling brooks, dancing 
merrily, in whirling eddies, round the 
fantastic roots of some overhanging tree, 
fringed and shaded by delicate ferns; 
here the wild bird nestled in security, 
for, although teeming in bird and insect- 
life, the place was very scantily peopled 
with the genus Homo. En route through 
Wakehurst Park a most lovely lime tree 
rears its head high above the surrounding 
growth of underwood, forming a most 
striking and beautiful object ; for size 
and regularity it surpasses any tree of 
the kind I ever saw ; its branches hung 
ill wide and graceful curves to the 
ground, and again luounted upwards; it 
was in most profuse bloom, and the air 
for a considerable distance was laden 
with its sweet perfume: countless insects 
were sipping the nectar, — such an as- 
semblage of butterflies and bees I never 
before witnessed : some dozens of the 
genus Argpnnis and Vanessa were feast- 
ing on its sweets. A few minutes’ rest 
beneath this natural bower was both re- 
freshing and agreeable, and gave ns re- 
newed energy for two miles hard up-hill 
walking on a blazing July day. Our 
point was at length gained, and my friend 
soon espied a female Iris sailing over a 
small coppice in which grew some few of 
the broad-leaved willow, its food-plant: 
our nets were soon in readiness, but her 
majesty had retired with due decorum to 
some sylvan throne, and could not be 
induced to reappear in public. We had 
not long to wait: a little further down 
the lane a bridal path runs between two 
coppices, — this seems the principal spot 
for them; there I saw one! — two! — 
three! — sailing and whirling in all their 
majesty of flight around an oak tree. 
Now we had plenty of sport and excite- 
ment; our collecting-boxes soon became 
tenanted with some of the imperial 
“ Purple.” Iris almost inv'ariably selects 
the tip of the tw'ig it rests on, head out- 
ward, and the whole brood of Emperors 
have apparently a great predilection for 
one branch ; we soon observed that, and 
one tree in particular, which I call 
the “ Emperor’s throne,” was always 
tenanted : no sooner had you taken one 
than another came, and to the same 
spot; we took six males from it that day, 
and I learn that many a dozen has been 
taken from the same tree. That delicate 
species, Leucophasia Sinapis (second 
brood), was just out, which gave us em- 
ployment whilst awaiting the arrival of 
an Emperor. At last the day began to 
get windy; the flight, in consequence, 
stopped, but not before we had boxed 
ten males and two females: our boxes 
were well filled with these and other spe- 
cies we required, so that we returned de- 
lighted with our expedition. I may 
mention that Iris is a very bold insect, 
and when at rest you may put your net 
close to it without its flying ; but make 
sure you are above it before you strike, 
or you will find you have missed it; they 
fly straight up: I missed several by 
sweeping at them. As to its boldness 
the following will testify : I had struck 
at one, and enclosed insect, bough and 
all in my net ; the springing up of the 
branch pulled my net fiom the pole, 
leaving it, with the insect, swung up in 
the tree ; Iris soon escaped, and soared 
up in the air a few seconds, when, to my 
surprise, it returned and alighted on the 
net it had just escaped from. On a 
former visit to llalcombe, I was walking, 
net in hand, through the Forest, when I 
