THE SEASON OF 1U14 IN SOUTH PROVENCE. 83 



M. deidUi'. I was glad to take five FJrynnis altheae in a corner of a bank 

 on the way up, large and just out, also Coenunnwplui an-ania, the only 

 specimen seen in the district, but it made up for its scarcity by its size, 

 being 42 mm. in expanse. The land is very much enclosed and fenced 

 off, and where open, the goats had utterly destroyed all iiowers, and 

 often pulled up the plants by the roots. 



From very bad the weather now became daily worse, and on the 

 12th we travelled down in pouring rain to Annot, where ten days were 

 spent in exploring a most interesting district, though I felt I was 

 leaving just as it was beginning to be productive. We had now dropped 

 265 metres, leaving the rigorous June of St. Martin, and butterfly 

 life was everywhere more in evidence. On the 13th a very large form 

 of Foli/oiiiijiatiis aiiuniila appeared, contrary to its custom, on a dry 

 hillside, together with Lijcaena avion and Cupido sebius. On the 16th 

 I took a small Theclid flying over a stunted sloe bush, and which I 

 identified as Nonlniannia acaciae ; it was very fresh, and had a dark 

 purple sheen in the sunlight. Next day 1 again took N. acaciae, and 

 for several daya I found one at the same spot and nowhere else ; the 

 district was not more than four yards by two. On the 19th Brentliis 

 dajilnw, Anji/unis ai/laia, and A. adi/ipe were flying, and Xi)ydiiia)inia 

 (7/c/.s- and Kliujia njiini, and a small breed of Puh/diiniiatKs csc/wri were 

 to be taken on the privet. 



While working for A', acaciae we were hailed by a farmer, on whose 

 land we were walking, not to order us oft', but to insist on our accepting 

 a tin of large strawberries, just picked, with the flavour of the sun 

 upon them. Annot is a pleasant district for collecting and I hope to 

 visit it again. 



On the 23rd we travelled down to Digne. Though only 110 metres 

 lower, it was like stepping from spring into thehottest summer. The 

 first afternoon was devoted to a visit to a little gorge leading from the 

 Eaux Chaudes road, which I had seen crowded with Kveres anjiades 

 and C. sebnis on the Goiista in 1911. Just as we emerged from that 

 alley with the strange device, " Rue de Paradis," Ajiatura ilia was 

 taken, flying along the road, almost the only one I saw. At the 

 entrance to the gorge was a group of privet bushes m blossom, swarm- 

 ing with A', .yiini and X. ilicift. 1 never saw any of the family in such 

 profusion, except Bit/n/s qncrciis in the New Forest in 1888. Next to 

 these in abundance came lirenthis daphne and Mela)iar(iia tjalathea, 

 with a sprinkling of ab. leucDinelas. C. arcania was abundant and past 

 its best. Among the A', Hpini I took a variety in which the light streak 

 underside is enlarged to a broad band. 



On the 2oth I worked the fiats by the river on the Eaux Chaudes 

 for Hir.siitina adnietiis, but the lavender was not yet in full bloom. 

 Coenoni/iiijilia donis appeared on the 26th on the Les Dourbes road ; 

 this insect has a peculiar partiality for hot dry places, without water or 

 vegetation ; Hmnicii jddacas, too, was found on sand too hot to touch, 

 it seemed to prefer the Brusquet road, which I consider the one barren 

 region out of Digne. That part of the Dourbes road which I will call 

 the " narrows," was difficult of approach, a steep rock on the left, on 

 the right a farmhouse, and a big mongrel left in charge, who held the 

 road against all comers and flew at us each time we passed, and waited 

 for us till we returned. The French were invariably kind and courteous 

 to us, but their dot's never understood what I said to them, and took me 



