THE LEPIDOPTERA OF ESSEX. 95
them as follows : "On the 26th of May, in the year 1758, Mr. Drury,
an ingenious Aurelian, in searching for caterpillars, beat four off
sallow, near Brentwood, in Essex, which in their shape and motion
differed from any hitherto discovered, being furnished with two
horns of the same hard substance as their heads, resembling the
telescopes of a snail, and in their progressive motion seemed rather
to glide along, like that animal, than crawl, as most caterpillars do."
After carefully describing the larvae, he expresses his gratitude to his
"generous and worthy friend, Mr. Drury, for the discovery of the
caterpillar of one of the most beautiful flies in the universe, and
which had hitherto eluded the search of the most skilful and indus-
trious aurelians."
" The Purple Emperor of the British oaks is not undeservedly
the greatest favourite of our English aurelians." (Haworth ; Lep.
Brit. i. 19 [1803]). He gives an entertaining description of its
habits (reprinted : V.M. 117-119; B.B. 74-5). Haworth says:
"In three days I took myself twenty-three (nine of them in one day),
but never took a female at all" (Lep. Brit. i. 20).
" Apatura iris was common in Hartley Wood and Riddles Wood ;
between eighty and one hundred were seen performing their graceful
and rapid evolutions about the tops of the oaks and aspens, gliding
among the foliage, and not returning to any particular tree, as
Haworth has stated to be its habit. From the frequency with which
they visited the aspens, and their greater inclination to settle on them,
we are inclined to think that the larvae feed on those trees as well as
on the broad-leaved sallows. There was not a wet spot to be found
in the woods, or we should have tried the method of capture mentioned
by Mr. Hewitson (Ent. 324) : only four were taken" (J. W. Douglas,
Ent. i. 384).
Caught in July, 1695, near Heveningham [Hedingham] Castle, in
Essex, by Mr. Courtman (Ray ; H.I. 127). Hedingham and Black-
more End (Benj. Allen ; M.S.). Larva on sallow, Brentwood, May
26th, 1758 (D. Drury). Great and Little Stour Woods, Wrabness and
Ramsey (Jermyn ; V.M. 69). Woods bordering road from Col-
chester to Ipswich (ex E. Doubleday ; Ent. Mag. iv. 231). Hartley
Wood, St. Osyth ; Riddles Wood, between Walton-on-Naze and
Brightlingsea, July 1842 (A. Lambert and J. W. Douglas ; Ent. i.
384). Woods round Colchester and wood on Mersea Island (H.
Doubleday ; Z. iv. 1399). Eggs from Dr. Maclean, Colchester, July
16th, 1861 (Newman ; Z. xix. 7820). Egg from Harwood, Colchester,