1908] Mountain Sprites 229 



were many mountains of equal height or soaring above that 

 on which we stood. As we watched the snowfields on Mount 

 Lefrov we noticed what appeared to be a little puff of snow 

 or cloud rolling down the precipitous side, and many seconds 

 later we appreciated, by the roar of sound that was brought 

 to us, that this had been an avalanche of perhaps thousands 

 of tons of ice and snow which had been dislodged by the action 

 of the summer heat. 



On the whole our trip it must be acknowledged, as far as 

 insects were concerned, was half a failure, because we did not 

 succeed fully in the object of our quest. When we reached 

 the summit where the butterflies we most desired are to be 

 found, we were met by a strong freezing blast which came up 

 from the other side of the mountain with such force as to make 

 it at times almost impossible to stand. The sun was for most 

 of the time hidden by rolling clouds laden with snow, which 

 almost incessantly fell in flurries during the hour and a half 

 we were on the summit. For a few minutes the sun came out 

 and I saw a black object like a drifting leaf rise from a bed of 

 broken rock and drop suddenly upon another one. This I knew 

 to be CEneis beanii, one of the Mountain Sprites we were in 

 search of. It was within a few feet of me and gave a good 

 instance of the almost incredible difficulty of finding these 

 insects which nature has so well protected by their resemblance 

 to the rocks amongst which they live and by their secretive 

 habits. I saw the little creature fall almost at my feet within 

 a space of two feet square where not a blade of grass was grow- 

 ing, and yet it was onty by going down on my hands and knees 

 and picking off one by one every piece of loose stone that at 

 last i detected it by a movement of the wing as a small piece 

 of rock fell upon it. Tt feigned death perfectly and was easily 

 picked up and dropped into the killing bottle. No other 

 specimens were seen except one Argynnis astarte which Dr. 

 Skinner says came towards him as though it had started from 

 the south pole and when he raised his net to make a stroke, 

 made for the north pole as if it meant never to stop till it reached 

 there. The temperature was below freezing, snow was falling 

 and the wind blowing a perfect gale. The sun showed no sign 

 of being in a kindlier mood, so after a stay of an hour and a 

 half we made up our minds to revisit again the flowery fields 

 below. Here we were well repaid by the many objects of beauty 

 which we found on everv side. Around the Lakes in the 

 Clouds the rocks were covered with mossy Saxifrages and the 

 rich flowers of the Wide-leaved Willow-herb. Here also we found 

 beds of the White Dryas (Dryas ociopetala, L.) a low alpien 



