for a few pence each.

The flight of this species is rapid and powerful, and it has a habit of
soaring loftily.

In this country its head quarters are in the fens of Cambridgeshire,
Norfolk, and Huntingdonshire. It has been found in some abundance near
Cambridge, Norwich, Yaxley, Whittlesea Mere, Burwell, and Hornsey Fens;
also singly in Lancashire, at Battersea, Pulborough in Sussex, near Ashford
in Kent, at Balcombe, Isle of Wight, Hampshire, near Chatham, at Southend,
Essex, and on the Cliffs of the South Coast. {67}

From its local character, this is of course one of the species that the
collector can hardly expect to meet with, except he live in one of the
districts given above as its head quarters. In these, however, it is
abundant enough, and the first sight of a number of these grand insects on
the wing must be enough to gladden the eye of any naturalist.

This butterfly comes out first in May, and is met with from that time till
August.

* * * * *

THE BRIMSTONE BUTTERFLY. (_Gonepteryx Rhamni._)

(Plate III. fig. 2.)

Though one of the commonest of our native butterflies, this, like
numberless other very common things, is also one of the loveliest, both in
the graceful outline of its wings, and in the lively hue that overspreads
their surface; charms the more to be appreciated, as this insect is one of
the few that do not wait for the full bloom of summer ere they condescend
to make their appearance, but in the earliest, chill months of spring, and
even in the dead winter season, the country rambler is sometimes gladdened
by its gay flight; and in fact there is not one winter month that is not
occasionally enlivened by this flying flower, when a day of unwonted
mildness and sunshine tempts it from its winter retreat. {68}

Until very recently it had always been stated by entomologists, that the
Brimstone Butterfly was "double-brooded" (a term meaning that it went
through _two whole cycles of existence_, from the _egg_ to the _perfect
insect_, in _one year_), one brood appearing in May, and the other in the
autumn.

But it is now established, on very satisfactory evidence, that _one brood
only is produced, and that, the autumnal one_. A considerable number of
these survive the winter in some place of concealment, and coming out again
in the spring form the so-called spring brood. Many of these hybernators
are found to be in very fair condition in the spring, but in gene