THE RHONE VALLEY IN JUNK, 3o 



examplef? two years before, at about the same time of year. r>nt we 

 entirely failed in this quest, for we did not see even one s)X'cimen, 

 I think we must have been too early for it. In walking down from 

 Siniplon to Iselle, we took the short cut through the meadows (just 

 below Simplon), and saw and took a fine fresh ^ of ('hrij>:<ii>lu(nus 

 hii>/»)th(ir, but this was the only one we saw. It was, no doubt, just 

 coming on. 



We slept at Iselle, and in the morning walked down to Crevola, 

 with the result (as already said) that wo did not find L. ccltis, but we 

 did — just above Crevola — meet with a considerable number of that 

 very distinct "blue," Poli/onniiatiis orion, all of them in splendid con- 

 dition. M. (jalathca, too, was abundant, and we obtained a few 

 remarkably fine dark examples of this pretty butterfly. Lnirophaaia 

 svKipis, also, was seen in fine form, with very dark blotches on the apex 

 of the fore-wings. < '. ijonUus, too, was fairly abundant, most of them 

 showing the beautiful purple gloss which is generally seen on speci- 

 mens taken on the south side of the Alps. Vancfim ia and Eut/onia 

 juihicldorofi were not uncommon, and were in fine condition, though, 

 curiously enough, we found two or three well grown broods of the 

 larviB of the former. We did not come across any Kuvanrssa antiopa, 

 but we found a line lot of larvae, which my companion sent home for 

 experimental purposes. We took about a dozen Folugonia c-alhxun in 

 good condition, and Mr. Merrifield believed he saw P. ei/ea, but I 

 think it may have been a very bright ^ P. c-allmm. In 1895, on about 

 the same date, we saw a number of Krehia evias on the Simplon road, 

 but this year we did not see a single specimen. The season was 

 evidently an early one, for Sarifrai/a coti/ledou, which was in full flower 

 in 1895, was quite over last June. 



We returned to Sierre about the 1st of July, again stopping a night 

 at Berisal, and walking down to Brigue in the morning. As before, 

 we saw no ('. (lordim, and, in fact, butterflies were still very scarce all 

 the way down. W^e did, however, get two or three fine examples of 

 Safj/rus aJri/onc, and one or two 2[. phoehe, Poli/oimnatw^ cscheri, and 

 a (? P. dainon. On our way we paid a visit to the well-known locality 

 for P. hjcidas^, and were so fortunate as to get about a dozen fine fresh 

 specimens. In spite of the circumscribed area of this locality, and of 

 the numbers annually taken, this species does not appear to be any 

 scarcer now than it was when re- discovered by the late Mr. Tasker. 



The day after our arrival at Sierre we paid another visit to the 

 Pfyn Wald. On this occasion Mr. Merrifield got a male P. nirlcai/cr, 

 and between us we caught six or seven specimens of A. ilia, which was 

 just emerging, and consequently in very fine condition. One, after 

 flying round me several times, alighted on my waistcoat, and was 

 easily netted. As regards /'. indt'oi/cr, it may be worth noticing 

 that, some years ago, I caught a pair of it in the Pfyn Wald, and that 

 the ? is apparently the var. stcirni, which Kane says is found on the 

 " mountains of S. Russia and Greece," and he adds, " S. Tyrol" 

 with a (" ? "). 



As I, some years ago, took three specimens of P. iolaa at Sierre, 

 we, of course, looked for it carefully this year, but altogether in vain, 

 so far as miiJiing any captures ; though I believe I did get a glimpse 

 of one as it flew up from the food-plant into the plantation above. I 

 have ju.st heard from a friend whom, five or six years ago, I told of 



