WHITE ADMIRAL. 
183 
of the south-eastern counties of England formerly 
produced it in tolerable plenty, but of late years it has 
been nowhere abundant, although it has been noticed 
in a considerable number of places. The following 
localities may be cited : — Woods near Rye, Sussex, 
New Forest, Coombe-wood, Hartley-wood, Essex, 
Berkshire, and Suffolk. It does not appear to inha- 
bit the north of England nor Scotland. Few butter- 
flies are greater favourites with aurelians than this, 
and none have been more highly eulogized for the 
gracefulness of their flight. “ The graceful elegance 
displayed by this charming species,” says Mr Ha- 
worth, “ when sailing on the wing, is greater perhaps 
than can be found in any other we have in Britain.” 
“ In its beautiful flight,” says another writer, “ when 
it skims aloft, it rivals the Purple Emperor, which it 
strongly resembles in appearance. It seems, how- 
ever (unlike the latter), to avoid the sunbeams, for 
it frequents the glades of woods, where it rapidly in- 
sinuates itself by the most beautiful evolutions and 
placid flight through the tall underwood on each 
side of the glades, appearing and disappearing like 
so many little fairies.”* The insect is not rare on 
the Continent, where there likewise occur four others 
pertaining to the genus, some of them very closely 
resembling the present species. 
* Rev. Revett Sheppard, in Miss Jermyn's Butterfly Col- 
lectors' Vade Mecum , 2d edit. p. 121. 
