THE LEPIDOPTERA OF ESSEX.
75
Jermyn's "Vade Mecum"). The new butterfly is fairly common and
generally distributed in our county, and is a startling instance of
what may still remain to be done even among our scanty, much
studied, and much collected butterflies. I have but little information
from the characteristic country to the north and west of Saffron
Walden—the north-west corner of our county—which Mr. Christy
has aptly termed "the chalky uplands." It is a district in which
many local species, peculiar to chalk soil, may be expected to occur.
I have to thank Mr. W. H. Harwood, Rev. G. H. Raynor, and
Mr. B. G. Cole, for some help with regard to the respective localities
in which they have collected.
The plan of the paper is self-evident ; it is simply intended to
gather together the published records of the Essex Lepidoptera ; a few
unpublished records are occasionally added, but exceptionally, and for
a special purpose. Now that a summary of the printed records is
furnished, it should be easy for our lepidopterists to add to
them from their own observations, and the Editor of the Essex
Naturalist will be very glad to have local lists, or observations on
single species, for publication, so that we may get to know the extent
of our native riches. Upon the completion of the Catalogue of the
Lepidoptera of Essex I shall hope to say something about the com-
parative distribution of the species, noting those believed to have
become extinct, and the relative richness of our lepidopterous fauna as
compared with that of other counties.
I ought, perhaps, to say that the nomenclature and arrangement
followed is that of Mr. R. South's "Entomologist" List, being a
recent (1884) adaptation of Standinger and Wocke's valuable Cata-
logue. The headings of families, etc., are omitted. The abbrevia-
tions used in making the references will be readily understood by
most entomologists, but for the benefit of those taking up the study,
a full list is appended.
RHOPALOCERA—BUTTERFLIES.
Papilio machaon, L. Swallow-tail.
Geographical distribution—Europe, North Africa, Asia to Himalaya, and perhaps
Japan, Western North America. Generally distributed and frequenting woods,
open fields and gardens ; but in Britain now supposed to be confined to fens of
Cambridgeshire, Hunts, and Norfolk, where it is rapidly disappearing.
Larva—Bright green, with deep black rings, which are spotted with red. Food
—Common and hog's fennel, wild carrot, and other umbelliferae. Imago—May to
August—hibernates as pupa.