Papilio Hippothoe is the largeſt and rareſt of that kind of Butter⯑flies called Coppers, by Engliſh collectors of Inſects. We have not heard that it has been taken in this country for ſome years paſt: our ſpecimens were met with in Scotland.

The female is larger than the male; it has alſo a greater number of black ſpots on the wings.

The larva of this Moth, like others of the geometrae, raiſes itſelf when walking, into the form of an arch or loop: it is of an ob⯑ſcure grey and brown colour, faintly mottled: the head is red. This larva is ſeldom taken, and when taken, is reared to the fly ſtate with the utmoſt difficulty. It ſeems a local ſpecies; for we [8] have never heard that it has been found, except on the Oak trees ^* in Richmond Park. It feeds on the higheſt branches of the trees, but deſcends into the earth to become a pupa. It appears in the fly ſtate in March.

The male Inſect is conſiderably ſmaller than the female. Its horns, or antennae, are alſo larger, and more feathered. This is a ſcarce Inſect. It is found in Germany; and a variety of it has been received from North America.

The Phryganea undergo their transformations in the water: in the larva ſtate they are taken by the fiſhermen for bait; and, in ſome parts of Holland, are found ſo abundant, that they are uſed as a cheap manure for the land. In the larva ſtate, they gene⯑rally [10] form a ſort of covering, or tube, for their defenceleſs bodies. It is open only at one end, at which its head and fore legs are pro⯑truded, to take its prey. Some ſpecies form theſe coverings of weeds and ſmall ſhells, gravel, ſand, &c. That of our preſent ſpecies, is compoſed of little pieces of the ſtalks of graſs, cut into an even form, and laid tranſverſely on each other. It attaches this tube to the roots of ſome aquatic plants, and undergoes its transfor⯑mations in it. In the annexed plate, we have repreſented the larva taken from the tube, and the pupa having the tube opened to exhibit its ſituation therein.

The Fly is very common about ponds, rivers, and marſhy places.

A ſmall Inſect, but of ſingular beauty; it feeds on the whortle berry and ſloe.

This ſpecies has been taken by Mr. Crow, of Faverſham. The only ſpecimen we ever met with, was found in the caterpillar ſtate, in Kent, in the month of May. The Fly came forth in June.

The larva of the Red Underwing Moth ſeeds on the willow: it is found in that ſtate in June and July. The Fly appears in Auguſt, after having remained in the pupa ſtate about twenty-one days.

[22]Collectors of Engliſh Inſects enumerate near twenty ſpecies of Phalaena under the trivial diſtinctions of yellow underwing, copper underwing, orange underwing, pink underwing, &c. &c. Among theſe the moſt conſpicuous both for beauty and magnitude, are the red underwing, and crimſon underwing. The firſt is by no means uncom⯑mon in the winged ſtate. The latter is very rare, or at leaſt a local ſpecies: it is found in the larva ſtate on the tops of the higheſt oaks in Richmond Park, and was formerly found in ſimilar ſituations in Burnt Wood, Eſſex. We are not informed that it has been taken in any other part of this kingdom.

Theſe two ſpecies have been confounded with a third ſort that is found in ſome parts of Europe, but does not, we have every reaſon to conclude, inhabit this country. This is the Noctua Pacta of Linnaeus and Fabricius. Linnaeus himſelf, in the firſt editions of the Syſtema Natura, conſidered the Red Underwing Moth, figured by Roeſel, tab. 15, as the Phalaena Pacta, and adds it in his Syno⯑nyms; but it appears corrected in the later editions ^*.

After that time, Harris, in his Aurelian, and other works, called the Red Underwing Phalaena Pacta, and the Crimſon Underwing Pha⯑laena Nupta. And Dr. Berkenhout, following Harris, or inattentive to the expreſs language of the author he tranſlated, has made the ſame error in his Synopſis of the Natural Hiſtory of Great Britain ^†. Indeed, it may be doubted, whether any later Engliſh work on Inſects has detected the error; for, examining a little tract of Mr. Matthew Martin, of the Bath Society, publiſhed in 1785, we find the Red Underwing called therein Phalaena Pacta.

To place our remarks in a clear point of view, we need only quote the deſcriptions of Linnaeus:—"NOCTUA PACTA Criſtata alis griſeſcentibus ſubundatis: poſticis rubris; faſciis du [...]b [...]s nigris. Abdomine ſupra rubro." And again in the general deſcription: [23] "Abdomen ſupra roſeum." Without adverting to the other charac⯑teriſtic marks, this proves that the Linnaean ſpecies of Pacta cannot be the ſame with that of the authors before quoted, becauſe in their ſpecies the upper part of the abdomen is hoary, inclining to brown, and not red ^*. Their Phalaena Pacta can be no other than the Phalaena Nupta of Linnaeus and Fabricius; the preciſe ſpecies repreſented in our plate; of which Linnaeus and Fabricius ſay: "Habitat in Europae Sallce Vitellina;" and of the Phalaena Pacta and Sponſa, "Habitat in Europae Quercu." The firſt lives on willows, the two others on oaks.

We cloſe our remarks with obſerving, that the above quoted Engliſh authors have been no leſs miſtaken as to Phalaena Nupta, which they have made the Crimſon Underwing Moth. We have before expreſſed our doubt whether Phalaena Pacta has ever been found in this country;—we add, that the Inſect, known to Engliſh collectors by the trivial name of Crimſon Underwing, is the Phalaena Sponſa of Linnaeus and Fabricius ^†, and conſequently not connected in the leaſt with Phalaena Nupta.

The readers of the works of Harris, Berkenhout, &c. are requeſted to read

• For Phalaena Nupta, Phalaena Sponſa, Crimſon Under⯑wing Moth.
• For Phalaena Pacta, Phalaena Nupta, Willow Red Under⯑wing Moth.

And finally, remove Phalaena Pacta from the liſt of Britiſh ſpecies, till it is proved to be a native of this country.

This ſpecies bears much reſemblance to ſome Inſects of the Ich⯑neumon genus. We have found it among the leaves of the Horſe-radiſh in June.

[26]All the ſirices are rare in England. Sirex ſpectrum is an active and vigorous creature, and which cannot be taken without danger of its ſtinging. The ſting is ſmall, and fine as a needle, but formed of ſuch hard or horny ſubſtance, that it will pierce the finger to the bone.

Moſt kinds of Waſps live in ſocieties; and, like the bees, conſtruct combs, in which they depoſit their eggs, and rear their young. Some ſpecies are ſolitary, and each individual forms a neſt for itſelf.

The common Waſp lives in ſocieties: they collect the juices of fruits, inſects, &c. and make honey, but it is inferior to that of bees. The metamorphoſis of the waſps and bees are ſimilar.

We have in few inſtances been able to preſent a ſpecies of Pha⯑laena, with all its metamorphoſis, more deſerving attention than the Black Arches Moth. It is uncommonly rare in the winged ſtate, and its larva and pupa is, we preſume, unknown to the Engliſh Entomologiſts at this time. We imagine Harris met with, and bred [30] this Inſect, though he has not figured it: he ſays it fed on the Oak, that it changed into chryſalis June 9th, and appeared in the winged ſtate July 9th, which is very near the time of our ſpecimen changing.

The larva is rather a general feeder; for though Harris mentions only Oak, we found that it would not refuſe the leaves of fruit-trees, ſuch as Apples, Pears, &c.; it ſeeds alſo on the Willow and Sallow. The female is larger than the male, and has antennae like briſtles.

This is the largeſt of the Hawk Moths that inhabits Great-Bri⯑tain, except Sphinx liguſtri and Sphinx Atropos. It is rarely taken in this country; the curious in Engliſh Inſects have them from Ger⯑many, where they are more common than with us.

A beautiful variety of this Inſect is found in North-America: the wings are more richly varied with different ſhades of bright browns than the European kind; the poſterior wings are of a fine roſe-colour. It has all the characteriſtic marks of Sphinx Convolvuli, or we ſhould heſitate to admit it as the ſame ſpecies. We received it from Mr. Abbot, in whoſe folio work it is alſo figured; he found it on the Wild Vine. Mr. Drury had the ſame variety ſent to him from St. Chriſtopher's.

After much reſearch, we have not been ſo fortunate as to meet with the Larva of this rare Inſect; nor can we learn that it has been taken by any Collector of Engliſh Inſects for many years. In the winged ſtate one Specimen was ſaid to be taken in the fields near Hoxton about two years ago.

To perfect the Hiſtory of this ſpecies, we have copied the Figures of the Caterpillar and Pupa, from N^o 7, Der Nacht-Voegel, &c. &c. of Roeſel's Inſecten Belluſtigung, Vol. I.

Our readers will obſerve that the Fly produced from the Cater⯑pillars repreſented by Roeſel is nearly one-third larger than the ſpecimens ſuppoſed to be bred in England; the Caterpillars muſt therefore be larger in the ſame proportion in the ſpecimens found in Germany.—The Caterpillars are of two colours, one green with ſtripes of yellow and ſpots of black; The other dull brown with ochre coloured ſtripes, and ſides of the ſame. The Caterpillar figured by Abbot has a roſe-coloured band on the ſide.

Phalaena Quercifolia is a rare and intereſting Inſect, and is the largeſt of the Engliſh bombyces, if we follow the arrangement of the Entomologia Syſtematica of Fabricius, and remove the Linnaean Bombyx Coſſus ^* to a new genus ^†.

The trivial name Lappet Moth has been given to this ſpecies by ſome early Collectors of Engliſh Inſects, becauſe they obſerved, when the creature was at reſt, and the wings expanded in a natural poſition, the anterior part of the ſecond pair lapped over the firſt, inſtead of the firſt pair laying on the ſecond, as in many other ſpe⯑cies of Phalaena. This appearance is very ſtriking, but not pecu⯑liar to Phalaena Quercifolia. Bombyces, with ſimilar reverſed wings, are numerous, and ſeveral of them natives of this country; as Phal. Quercus, and Potatoria.

In a former volume we have given The Pine Lappet Moth; an Inſect that is extremely uncommon in Great-Britain; that, with the preſent ſpecies, are the only two Britiſh Phalaena called Lappet Moths; another Inſect, cloſely allied to P. Quercifolia, and ſup⯑poſed to be the Phal. Populifolia, is ſaid to be an Engliſh Inſect, but on what authority, we are not informed. The very different appear⯑ances of the larva of Phal. Quercifolia in different ſtages of its growth, may poſſibly have cauſed ſome miſtake; for in one ſkin they are brown, with whitiſh marks; in another greyiſh, with dark brown marks; and when of a full ſize, are more inclined to brown and grey in ſome ſpecimens than in others. Notwithſtanding, however, the variation of colours, in all its changes, we find that the two oval blue marks on the ſecond and third ſegment of the body are conſtant, and ſufficient to determine the ſpecies. The larva of Bombyx Populifolia is very ſimilar to that of B. Quercifolia, when young, if we may judge by the only figure of it extant, but the mark acroſs the ſecond ſegment is narrow and black; that on the third ſegment broader, with two ſemi-lunated red ſpots.—Vide Kleeman's Beytraege, &c. Vol. 3. tab. 14.

[43]The larva of P. Quercifolia we have taken in Darent Wood, Kent, on the graſs; it feeds alſo on Willow, Blackthorn, and Whitethorn. At the end of April, or not later than May, it forms a large and looſe ſpinning interwoven with its hairs, of black, reddiſh, and grey colours. The pupa is black, but appears perfectly white, being covered with a fine white pollen, or powder; each ſeg⯑ment is encircled by a belt, of a red colour. In July and Auguſt it is found in the Fly ſtate.

Fabricius deſcribes the larva of this rare Moth:—It is aſh-coloured, with a black collar or mark on the neck: feet reddiſh brown, and the back ſpotted with the ſame colour.

[46]The trivial Engliſh name, Phoenix Moth, has been given to this Inſect from a circumſtance little known, and ſcarcely deſerving notice, except as it proves the impropriety of naming Inſects from local circumſtances, when any other can be well applied. A ſmall part of a wood near London had been cut down, and a quantity of charcoal made on the ſpot. This place had been often viſited by Aurelians, but the Phalaena Prunaria had never been diſcovered there, nor indeed was then known as a Britiſh Inſect. On the following year, when the ground was cleared, and the underwood grown up, this Moth was found, it continued to be taken conſtantly in the months of June and July for many years, in this place, and then totally diſappeared. The late Mr. Bentley, known as a collector of Engliſh Inſects, diſcovered a breeding-place of this Moth on Epping Foreſt, and commonly found three or four ſpecimens every ſeaſon. We are not certain that it has been found in any other part of the kingdom. It feeds on the thorn, plumb and currant.

Very uncommon in this country. The larva has been found on the Willow, but unleſs taken when ready to become a pupa, it is impoſſible to rear it to the winged ſtate. We are little acquainted with the peculiar habits of theſe Inſects, and cannot therefore feed them in a proper manner.

Moſt of the Tenthredines enſhroud themſelves in a net-work covering, and remain in the earth till the Fly burſt forth; others faſten the web againſt the branches of trees, or on the trunk near the earth. The habits of Tenthredo lutea are very ſimilar to thoſe of T. Vitellinae; the winged Inſect appears in June.

The natural ſize of this Inſect is given at Fig. I. in the annexed plate. It is far inferior in beauty to either Chryſis ignita or bidentata, figured in the early part of this work; but as the genus is very limited, we have a given figure of this ſpecies. It is very abundant on all k [...]nds of fruit-trees in the ſummer.

Found on the Lime, Willow, and Elm in the ſtate of Larva, changes to the Pupa in September; and the Moth appears in May. The Larva of this creature differ very much in their ſhades of colour; they are generally blackiſh or dark olive with a few obſcure red ſpots.

This is a rare Inſect, and has not been deſcribed by Linnaeus or Fabricius. It bears a diſtant reſemblance to Meloe Proſcarabaeus; but the ſingular ſtructure of the Antennae will alone prove it a diſtinct ſpecies. The Antennae in Meloe Proſcarabaeus are monili⯑form, or compoſed of ſeveral bead-like articulations, nearly of the ſame ſize: thoſe of this new ſpecies are thickeſt in the middle; and in one point of view the fourth, fifth, and ſixth articulations appear remarkably large and globular: in another, they ſeem writhed or diſtorted, and very concave; the other joints are as in the former ſpecies.—The whole Inſect has a ſhining blue gloſs: Meloe Pro⯑ſcarabaeus [66] is coal black. It is ſmaller, and the Wing-caſes nearly cover the Abdomen. In Meloe Proſcarabaeus the wing-caſes are only one-third the length of the Abdomen.

In ſome Cabinets, this Inſect is arranged with a new ſpecific name autumnalis; but as we find it is not a non-deſcript, we prefer that, under which it has been already deſcribed. In this we not only avoid the confuſion ariſing from a change of names, but reject one merely local for another expreſſive of its ſpecific character.

Our Specimens were found on Epping Foreſt, in July.

This beautiful Inſect is very common in this country, and not leſs ſo in every other part of Europe: it feeds on the poplar and [68] willow in the larva ſtate, and frequents thoſe trees in the winged ſtate alſo. About the month of September, the Larva or Cater⯑pillars are full grown, and change to the Pupa: the Sphinx appears in May.

The Larva are black, beſet with ſpines and tufts of the ſame colour: the ſides are marked with a double row of white ſpots, the feet red. It is found on the long plantain in April. The Flies appear in May. This is the rareſt of the Britiſh Fritillary Butterflies, if we except Papilio Lathonia, the Queen of Spain Butterfly.

The White Admirable Butterfly feeds upon the common honey ſuckle or woodbine, and is found in the winged ſtate in the months of June and July, in the ſkirts of woods; its habit is much the ſame as that of P. Atalanta, Red Admirable, but it is by no means ſo common.

[76]This ſpecies has hitherto been deemed the Papilio Camilla of Linnaeus, though it differs in a ſlight degree from the deſcriptions and figures of authors who deſcribe only German or Swediſh ſpeci⯑mens of it. In the late editions of the Syſtema Naturae, P. Camilla is deſcribed with P. Sibilla, a Papilio nearly allied to it, but which Linnaeus conſidered as a diſtinct ſpecies; his deſcription of Camilla expreſsly ſaying "angulo ani rubro."—The angulis ani, of P. Si⯑billa ^*, not being of a red colour, removes it from the Engliſh ſpecies.

Fabricius is of a different opinion, and in diſſenting from his au⯑thority it is incumbent to ſtate our objections. In the Species inſec⯑torum of that author, the P. Camilla with the Linnaean ſpecific cha⯑racter, is made a variety β of Sibilla. The ſynonyms of the two inſects are ambiguous, and the references not more ſatisfactory. Among others he refers for P. Sibilla, to Drury's Inſ. 2. tab. 16. fig. 1, 2.—to Roeſel Inſ. 3. tab. 70. fig. 1, 2, 3,—and to Schaeffer 152 ^†. fig. 1, 2. The two laſt are perhaps the ſame ſpecies: the firſt is un⯑queſtionably different. For P. Camilla he refers to Roeſel tab. 33. fig. 3, and this agrees with our ſpecimen, except in the colours of the upper ſurface being ſomewhat paler; ſo that we may conclude our Engliſh Inſect is not only the P. Camilla of Linnaeus but alſo the β Camilla of Fabricius.

The ultimate opinion of Fabricius is however different, for in the Entomologia Syſtematica ſince publiſhed, Camilla and Sibilla ſtands a dictinct ſpecies; and Camilla is thus deſcribed, "alis dentatis atris cocruleo micantibus: faſcia utrinque maculari alba, poſticis fubtus baſi argentea immaculata." Linn. Syſt. Nat. 2. 781. 187. habitat in Auſtria. Thus P. Camilla will no longer agree with our inſect, nor with that figured by Roeſel, plate 33. fig 3. But if we refer to the Syſtema Naturae of Linnaeus, we diſcover another error, for [77] inſtead of the above quoted ſpecific character, Linnaeus only ſays, "Alis dentatis fuſcis ſubconcoloribus albo faſciatis maculatiſque, angulo ani rubro." p. 781. 187. and this is clearly our inſect.— From this the whole of the Fabrician account is obviouſly a com⯑plicated error of deſcription and ſynonyms, and without attempting to inveſtigate it further, we ſhall ſpeak of both ſpecies as they appear to us.

We conſider the Common Engliſh Admirable, as the true P. Camilla; and that Sibilla, and not Camilla is the Auſtrian ſpecies, as we have received it from that country; it is much darker in the upper ſurface, and has a row of ſhining blue ſpots all round the wings: the baſe of the poſterior wings, beneath ſilvery and without ſpots, as Fabricius deſcribes his Camilla. Our inſect on the contrary has no row of blue ſpots on the upper ſurface, but a red ſpot at the inner angle of the poſterior wings; the baſe of the lower wings are alſo ſilvery beneath, but has black ſpots upon it. They differ in many other reſpects: theſe alone determine them to be two ſpecies, and ours to be the Camilla of Linnaeus.

We have inſpected the drawings of Mr. Jones, from which Fa⯑bricius deſcribes moſt of his Papiliones, and are confirmed in our opinion.

A nondeſcript ſpecies: it was found on a thiſtle.

The line at fig. 1 denotes the natural ſize.

Papilio Paphia is an elegant ſpecies of the Britiſh Papiliones. In ſize, colour, and general appearance of the upper ſide it is very ſimilar to Papilio Agala; in the underſide, it is extremely different. [84] Both of theſe Butterflies are remarkable for that pecular ſhining ap⯑pearance of poliſhed ſilver with which a few other of the european Fritillary Butterflies are ornamented; but in Papilio Agala, this ſilver is diſpoſed in diſtinct ſplaſhes or ſpots, while in Papilio Paphia it appears in tranſverſe ſtreaks. Theſe ſtreaks are finely ſoftened into the red and olive green of the wings, and produce altogether a ſingular and charming effect. It is from the latter circumſtance the early Engliſh collectors termed this the ſilver-waſh Fritillary.

The Caterpillar of this butterfly is found on the graſs in May. It is of a plain yellowiſh brown, with ſeveral longitudinal ſtripes of dark brown; it is alſo thickly beſet with barbed ſpines, a quarter of an inch in length, and has in particular two of a remarkable form on the firſt annulation next the head. It remains in the chryſalis twenty or twenty one days; and appears in the winged ſtate early in June.

The male of this ſpecies is diſtinguiſhed by a large fulvous mark or ſpot on the anterior wings. The larva is very remarkable, being broad and flat. It is found in the months of May and June on the Alder and Sloe. Changes to Chryſalis the firſt week in July. The Flies appear in Auguſt.