NOTES ON THE SWISS RHOPALOCERA. V. 103 



The first imago, which proved to be Pijrijiis protn, appeared on July 

 18th, and individuals kept on emerging at intervals until September 

 12th. 



So little is known of the earlier stages of many European butter- 

 flies that I am not aware if it is usual for the larvfe of Hesperids to 

 remain after attaining their full size a considerable period without 

 pupating, but it seems difficult to assign a reason for this habit in a 

 species that attains the perfect state in the middle of the summer. 



The time of emergence of P. proto seems to be much later in S'outh- 

 East Russia than it is in Spain, and the state of the vegetation does 

 not apparently account for this. At Algeciras, in 1908, I took a speci- 

 men in April, and at Albarracin, the altitude of which is about 4,000 

 feet, the species Hies at the end of June and throughout July. It must 

 be borne in mind that Novorossisk is at the sea level, and Sarepta is 

 below it, and at both of these places the vegetation would be far more 

 advanced when /*. jn-otn emerges than is the case when it is out in its 

 Spanish localities. 



I should mention that there can be no doubt as to the identity of 

 my Russian specimens, Mr. Rayward having made preparations of the 

 genitalia of both these and Spanish examples, and finding them 

 identical. F/tlmiiis herba-centi is a Spanish as well as a Russian plant. 



The following is a rough description made of the larva in the last 

 instar, with the aid of a lens. 



Length when stretched out 22mm. ; the head is black and hirsute ; the second 

 segment glabrous and flesh-coloured with darker brown markings ; the colour of 

 the remainder of tne segments appears grey, in consequence of the whole area 

 being thickly covered with white tubercles, which almost hide the dark ground 

 colour. Many of these tubercles had a white spine. Down the centre of the 

 dorsal area runs a thin indistinct black line, caused by the white tubercles being 

 less in number along its length. In the subdorsal area there is a small orange 

 tubercle on each segment. The spiracular region is lighter than the subdorsal; 

 the spiracles are orange coloured outlined with black, and are not conspicuous ; 

 above them, but in the spiracular region, is a row of not conspicuous dark mark- 

 ings ; the prolegs are amber coloured. 



The larva spins together the edges of a leaf of its food-plant, and 

 lives in the chamber so formed during the day, feeding at night. 



Notes on the Swiss Rhopalocera. V. 



By the late A. J. IISON. 



(Communicated by Miss L. M. Fison.) 



Extracts from letters to, and kindly lent by, the Rev. George Wheeler, 



1904. 

 1. SioN AND Montana. 



" Grand Hotel, Sion, May 17th, 1904. 

 " I have now been here four weeks. On Saturday I got my first 

 Brenthis eiipliriisi/nt' and the two first Ant/iocharis siiiiplo)iia I have 

 seen (high up). Have seen no Pontia daplidice yet, which surprises me. 

 Yesterday, going up to Montana from Grange, I got lots of Melitaea 

 aiirelia, above Olon hamlet (say GOO feet above the valley), (ilaiicupsyche 

 c}/llanis was in croinls as everywhere. All the $ s were of the black or 

 dark brown kind,* and some were very large. Cnpido sebnis abounds, 

 but altogether I have not found much yet this season .... I may 



