282 THE ENtOMOLOGlST's RECORD. 



d'Anuiviers, connected by a mule path with Vissoye, about the longest 

 G|- miles I laiow in Ba3dekei'. Once up the steep zigzag from Sierre, 

 the nearest railway station, the road ascends more gently, crossing 

 great ravines, plunging into dusty tunnels blasted in the virgin rock, 

 and anon winding among pine forests and flowery valleys, bright with 

 little patches of grass, rye, and cherry orchards, the haunt of most 

 of the butterflies to be foimd in the Valais. The last day of July was 

 one of stifling heat, as I descended from the train, after the through 

 journey from London, and unfurled my Graf-kriisi preparatory to the 

 climb up to Vissoye. There is a fine stretch of marshy gi'ound between 

 Sierre and Chippis, at the foot of the zigzag aforesaid, and I was 

 auticipatmg at least an hour's sport before the ascent. Unfortunately, 

 a thunderstorm came tearing down from the Lake of Geneva, and, 

 before I had time to cross the plain, it Avas upon me. This is a capital 

 locality, I know, for Pieris daplidice, which I did not find that day, 

 and for Satyrus (hyas, of which I secured a single specimen, 

 in first-rate condition, and innumerable " Blues." Higher up, from 

 the wind-driven dust, on which the great rain drops were crackling 

 like small shot, occasional Satyrus alcyone would start and make 

 for the nearest shelter of over-hanging rock, whither I was not long 

 in following, to find them but shabby fellows, who appeared to have 

 been on the road for many weeks. And though the rain soon passed 

 ofi', the sky remained cloudy, with Ijut fitful gleams of watery sun- 

 shine, disajjpointing in the extreme to the collector. I had just time 

 to note that Melitaea didyma was evidently in full swing, with its 

 ])retty female variety alpina, properly located, according to the data, 

 in Kane's European Butterjlies. I spotted also Sjnlothyriis alceae, 

 last seen at Hyeres in April, and a few common things besides ; but 

 the clouds again closed in, and I arrived at Vissoye for the night, 

 wondering if I was to experience a fourth wet August in succession during 

 my stay at Zinal. Happily, this was not to be. In fact, with the 

 exception of a rainy day or two about the 8th, the rest was such 

 weather as the gods favour us with but seldom in these regions. Next 

 day I was up early — too early for the butterflies — but later in the 

 morning I came across, among others, Chrysoijhanus alciphron var. 

 gordius, wasted, among the sorrels by the streams, and Brenthis 

 amathusia quite the commonest of the Argynnidi, for this and 

 many succeeding days. Kane gives the chapel of St. Laurent, midway 

 between the villages, for Polyommatus donzelii, and sure enough I 

 was hardly in the wood in which the tiny chapel is situated before I 

 secured this pretty and local Lycsnid, with several females, probably 

 because of their inconspicuous markings accounted rarer than the males. 

 So long as the pastures remained uncut I frequently collected at this 

 place, up and down the moimtain slopes, on both sides of the brawling 

 Navigenze. Hereabouts one sunny morning I encoimtered P. eumedon, 

 P. eros, P. hylas (very fine and frequent), with Nomiades semiargiis and 

 Pleheius aegou in swarms. The flower-heads of the Centaurea, too, 

 were clustered with Erebiidi, mostly Erehia euryale, and from the 

 damp grass in which the wild balsams gi'cw, I picked up a battered 

 specimen or two of E. ceto^ quite useless for boxing. Meanwhile in 

 every direction the larger fritillaries, Argynnis aglaia and A. niohe 

 Var. eris, with B. amathusia and occasional B. ewplirosync, were 

 dashing wildly from bloom to bloom, much affecting, with Vanessa io 



