IN THE CANTABRIANS. AUGUST, 191J. 127 



On the 13th we tried new ground towards the vampo, but turned 

 off to the left just over the bridge and followed the stream downwards; 

 we found no butterflies here, and were presently barred by precipitous 

 rocks, up which we scrambled and reached some rough hills above, 

 overlooking the railway from Astorga. Here we saw many .S'. statiliiuis 

 and a couple of S. fidia, but found them very wild owing to a strong 

 wind which was blowing. 



The next day was devoted to some (jarbanzos fields near the Roman 

 bridge, where L. boeticKs was plentiful but in varying condition, flying 

 with a second brood of /'. ila/didict', an occasional /'. jindalirius or I'. 

 viaciiaon, and a single specimen of Cidias ediisa var. Iwlice. L. boeticns 

 flew^ low among the chick-peas, the pods and leaves of which were as 

 dry and brittle as can only be possible in a country so parched up as 

 Spain is in August. About one-third of our captures were worth 

 retaining, which may be partly explained by the quantity oi f^arbanzos 

 debris netted with them. It says much for the courtesy and long- 

 suffering of the peasants who passed on mule-back, that they did 

 nothing more than shout at us. 



On our last day in Ponferrada Mr. Muschamp took a very worn 

 Dryas pandora near the Rio Sil; this is an interesting record from the 

 locality. 



The French mobilisation being now completed, the Government 

 arranged to run one train a day to Paris, commencing on the 19th ; 

 we therefore got on as far as Burgos, so as to be within easy reach of 

 the frontier. Having wired to the French Consul at San Sebastian for 

 instructions, we took our nets, and following the Paseo to the Cartuja 

 de Miratlores, on a bare hill in high wind took N. sfatilinu^ and C 

 ■paiiijdiilna ab. pallida, the latter of w^hich was the same form as we had 

 taken at La Grauja in 1912 ; one 5 F. coridon ab. nbsoleta was also 

 netted here. No answer having come from San Sebastian, we worked 

 the same ground again next day ; the air being close and the sky over- 

 cast, we observed S. statilinus to be as tricky as D. pandora had been 

 at La Granja on a similar day. In addition to the insects noted, there 

 were Hipparrhia brheia, ('. ediisa, (J. In/ale, P. dapUdice, I\. titliomis, 

 Melananjia lachesh, K. jurtina, and a tribe of very small E'. bjcaon, 

 with one 5 and four ^ roridon var. arrat/onensis. 



Here collecting ended, as we left Burgos next morning at 3 a.m., 

 and spent the day in San Sebastian, fulfilling toe requirements of the 

 French consul with regard to passports and photographs. Leaving in 

 the evening for Hendaye, we found ourselves the only passengers in 

 the train as it crossed the frontier, and we were privileged to have the 

 attention of the military and customs officers centred upon us. They 

 were, however, very friendly, frankly admired the insects, and passed 

 all our luggage, camera included. Of the journey home through poor 

 unfortunate France, and the contrast between her and the happy, peace- 

 ful Spain we had left behind us, of the kindness shown us everywhere, 

 (and especially at Paris by some English gentlemen who had only just 

 succeeded in escaping from Germany, and were returning home, ruined 

 by the outbreak of war), I cannot write here. For the first time, we 

 regretted maligning on previous trips the dear old English Channel; 

 the crossing had always been a bete-noire, but we now knew La 

 Manche to be the only bar to a similar invasion to that which was 

 taking place so near Paris. 



