^^ AND ^^l-^ 



JOURNAL OF VARIATION. 



Vol. X. No. 4. April Ioth, 1898. 



Contributions to tlie fauna of Piedmont. 



I. — The Mont Cenis Pass — Susa — Collecting grounds at Susa — 

 The butterflies of Susa — Lampides boetica — Two races of 

 PiERis RAP/F — Flight of P. daplidice — Polygonia egea — 

 Intermediate Pararge egeria — Hipparchia arethusa — Varia- 

 tion OF Erebia ^thiops — Habits of Erebia neoridas — Notes 

 on E. neoridas and E. zapateri. 



By J. W. TUTT, F.E.S. 



I do not know of any record of captures of Lepidoptera made in 

 Susa, except two references in Kane's Handhook. There is a note in 

 the Knt. Mo. Ma(j., vol. xvi., pp. 256 et set/., where the place is men- 

 tioned in a tour made by Messrs. Forbes, Elwes and Salvin, at the end 

 of June and in early July, 1879, although no insects appear to have 

 been taken near the town. Susa, however, has an entomological 

 reputation. It is one of the habitats of the local Neptis lucilla, which, 

 however, I was too late to find. 



On the 10th August, 1896, I left Lanslebourg, and drove over the 

 Mont Cenis Pass. A few specimens of Erebia aethiops, E. tyndarns, 

 Arf/i/nnis at/laia, A. lathonia, Ai/lais urticae and Colias hyale, were 

 almost all the Rhopalocera observed during the delightful drive, 

 although the day was absolutely cloudless. At the very summit of the 

 pass, I saw a Calias edusa scudding along as if all the winds of heaven 

 were in its wings, but two hours' stay on the pass did not enable me 

 to find a single lepidopterous insect. Yet the labourers wore at work, 

 at least 500 feet above the pass, mowing the pastures in every direction, 

 and the vegetation was magnificent. Possibly it was too highly culti- 

 vated at this level (6-7,000 foot) for insects to fiourish. In the after- 

 noon, the interesting descent to Susa was accomplished, and ere 

 evening I was comfortably installed in the Albergo del Sole. So well 

 did I like my quarters, and so suited to my temporary fit of laziness 

 was the surrounding country, that it was nine days before I left Susa, 

 and then only the urgent necessities of being back in London without 

 delay, dragged me from this charming spot. Susa is about 83 miles 

 west of Turin, situated at the entrance of that branch of the Dora Valley 

 that comes down from Mont Cenis into the plain, and is continued 

 onwards to Turin. The river runs through the middle of the town, 

 and five minutes' walk in any direction carries one into the country. 

 It is a delightful old place, and the old-world, early-morning fair, that 

 was hold in the square facing the Albergo, was charmingly picturesque. 



