192
BENJAMIN ALLEN.
were thaumas. On his second visit all the specimens on the lower ground were
lineola, but at Hadleigh thaumas was much the more common species. Then
descending into the marshes he secured a long series of lineola, but not a single
thaumas among them. He said that this indicated pretty clearly that the natural
habitat of lineola was the marshes and not the higher ground.
The species is probably common where it occurs ; its European range is from
Scandinavia to North Africa. It is figured in Dr. Lang's "Butterflies of
Europe," pl. 81, fig. 10, and there are specimens in the Doubleday European
Collection in the Bethnal Green Museum. No doubt more will soon be known
of the distribution of the butterfly in England as the result of the attention now
being given to it by entomologists.
BENJAMIN ALLEN, OF BRAINTREE.
BENJAMIN ALLEN, M.B., formerly of Queen's College, Cambridge, who
practised as a physician at Braintree, was the friend and contemporary of
John Ray and Samuel Dale. Both are frequently mentioned in Ray's works,
and we know that this Braintree trio did much towards establishing the study of
natural science in Britain. Ray wrote of Allen, "Eruditissimus et ingeniosissimus
amicus noster). Benjamin Allen, Brantriae in Essexia medicinam faciens"
(Hist. Ins., p. 80) ; and to Dr. Robinson, "our principal physician at Braintree,
Mr. Allen, my acquaintance and friend, hath discover'd hereabouts flying
glow-worms" (Ray's Phil. Letters, ed, Derham, p. 263).
This was reciprocated by Allen, who wrote—"And not only myself but that
most extraordinary naturalist, and universally great man, and my honoured
friend, Mr. Ray, hath observed that some years the hardest frost hath not
hindered the papilios coming out of their chrysilis, which in some mild springs
shall not be found abroad so soon." (Nat. Hist. Chalybeat Waters, pp. 49, 50.)
Our colleague, the Rev. J. W. Kenworthy, the present Vicar of Braintree,
possesses a most interesting memorial of Dr. Allen in his commonplace book.
This is a large volume full of notes on many subjects—medical, zoological,
especially entomological, archaeological, astronomical, and historical. The
entomological part is very interesting, and is fully illustrated. Dr. Allen's
remarks and observations on the life histories of various insects, especially the
glow-worm, and also on the oyster, snails, &c., show him to have been a close
and acute observer, in every respect far in advance of his age,
Mrs. Ray was godmother to Allen's eldest son Thomas, who was baptized in
Braintree Church, August 12th, 1697. From the MS. volume above referred to
we gather, however, that Ray and Allen were not then so friendly as at one time.
Ray's daughter Mary died at the end of January of this same year (1697) and
we know that he had consulted his friend and patron, Dr. Hans Sloane, about her
("Correspondence of Ray," Ray Soc, pp. 311, 312). He here coldly says : "We
have made use of our neighbouring physician, Mr. Allen," &c. With Mr. Ken-
worthy's permission I give the following curious extract from Dr. Allen's volume :—
"A little before Mary Ray dyd, about a fortnight or three weeks or less, I dreamt
in a morning as before I was walking with Mr. Ray down Rain [Rayne] Land