76 THE LEPIDOPTERA OF ESSEX.
Early in the century, doubtless, fairly common in several localities
in the county, and it has lingered until quite recently, even if it be
now extinct in Essex. Ray, who gives a good description of the
larva found near Montpellier on fennel, and in Sussex on Pimpinella
saxifraga, says, "and I have observed this in Sussex and Essex,
counties of England" (H.I. 110). Stephens says, "It has sometimes
been captured close to London, in Epping Forest, at Stepney, and
near Peckham ; and it was formerly abundant at Westerham, in Kent"
(I.B.E. Haust. i. 8). Newman says, "When at school at Totten-
ham I have found these beautiful caterpillars feeding on rue" (Y.E.
4), and again, "I have repeatedly found the caterpillar feeding on
rue in a garden in the occupation of some friends of the name of
Forster, on Tottenham Green; this was probably fifty years ago"
(B.B., 153).1
In C. Parsons' MS. entomological journal I find, "1826, July
31, Papilio machaon, 11, at Trotter's." At first I thought this referred
to eleven specimens, but in a MS. list of insects left by Parsons I
find "11 P. machaon" so it is probably only a reference number.
In a box of Parsons' insects now in the Southend Institute, there are
four P. machaon, one only with a label "Sutton Broad, Norfolk, 3rd
June, 1841"; the other three are most probably Essex specimens.
"Trotters" is in North Shoebury parish, less than three miles from
Shoeburyness or Southend. C. O. Rogers captured one, and pursued
another, in a marshy place near Southend, on August 24th, 1858
(E.W.I. iv. 179). Our member, Mr. F. H. Varley, found five
pupae between Southend and Shoebury (not Tilbury, as printed
in Proc. E.F.C. ii. lxxix.) in October, 1868. Two of the
three specimens bred from these pupae are in the Club collection.
Fennel (with many other Umbelliferae) is still very common on the
cliffs between Southend and Shoebury, and the locality seems a
natural one for this interesting butterfly. W. S. Coleman, in his
"British Butterflies" (p. 66) says that it has occurred singly at
Southend, doubtless referring to Mr. Rogers' capture.
One of Rev. J. W. Mills' pupils took one specimen at Tillingham
in 1877 (Ent. x. 191), and Mr. Mills was quite of opinion that
machaon used to occur in his neighbourhood, as an old parishioner
1 [I believe that we found a larva of P. machaon in our then favourite collecting ground, the
lane near Temple Mills, Leyton, in 1859 ; but being then ignorant of the distinguished character
of our beautiful caterpillar, and not knowing the food, we failed to rear it. The once rural lane,
along which the "Wood-lady" (E. cardamines) used to flit in early summer, and where a morn-
ing's walk would furnish forth abundance of the beautiful common objects of the country, is
now, alas, the blackened track to the necessary, but ghastly and stinking, parish dust-yard."—
W. Cole.]