THE UPPER ENGADINE IN 1914. 225 



numbers and quite typical, and with one of two dragonHies were the 

 only Insecta around the lake. There were several nests of the social 

 larvie of l^iioi/aster arbiiscidae stretched on the surface of which were 

 the inhabitants, all of them on the slightest provocation, even a 

 shadow, jerking their heads and thoracic segments to and fro very 

 rapidly. Presumably these inovemenis were for protection against 

 possil)le attack by ichneumons, but 1 should infer that it was not 

 always very efficacious, for some larvte that I took to rear all produced 

 Dipterous parasites. Around this lake were a few shrubs of ArctoNta- 

 p/n/llos iir.^-iirsi with the last of the Howers still remaining, and subse- 

 quently 1 took several specimens of the dusky little Geometer whose 

 larv;e are attached to this plant only in the highest Alps and in 

 Norway and Lapland, Pijtniiaena fiinca. They were all males and from 

 ignorance 1 omitted to search for the curious short-winged, long- 

 bodied females. This species is closely allied to the genus I 'sodas. 



A move was made across the low rocky ridge to a piece of boggy 

 ground on the southern slope of the spur and here ('(dias palucno was 

 careering wildly up and down. Olie male and a white form of the 

 female were captured with some difficulty. Plebeins ariiiiniiniomnn and 

 Coenoni/iiipha satijrion w^ere both observed. Several Botijs alpinalis, 

 one I'l/raiista rhodudend rail's, and a specimen of Mditaea aiirinia var. 

 iiierttjie occurred, the last somewhat larger than usual in this form. 

 Several species of the beautiful blue Gentians were still in flower here, 

 including the large Gmitiana acaiiUs; and a large flowered species of 

 pansy, which I have not identified, was observed. 



A short rest for refreshment gave one a chance to enjoy the glorious 

 view from this coign of vantage, quite 1,100ft. above the valley below, 

 and just an opposite view to that described from the Suvretta path on 

 the other side of the valley. On the right the Alps on the western 

 side of the Lower Engadine stretching away to the Austrian frontier, 

 nearer the peaks Piz Ot and Piz Nair, in front the wild and lonely 

 Suvretta Thai, Pfz Albana, and behind it Piz Julier with its snowy 

 crests, then to the left the cross valley leading to the Julier Pass, and 

 then the Alps leading on to the Maloya Pass with the Italian frontier 

 mountains beyond. The lakes of the long valley of the Upper 

 Engadine are seen from here to much better advantage than from the 

 other side, St. Moritz, Campfer, Silvaplana, and Sils make Jinks in a 

 chain of delightful blue, spotted here and there with reflections of the 

 white clouds above and of the dark green foliage of the pines around. 

 The road to the Maloya Pass can be distinguished for miles as it winds 

 its way, alongside the lakes for the most part, diverging at one place 

 only to cross between Silser See and Silvaplaner See to Sils Maria at 

 the entrance of the famous Fex-thal. 



Before returning, a small colony of the delicate Lycaenid, Latioiina 

 orbitnlus, was discovered and a short series was taken, including an 

 aberrant female in which there were two rows of submarginal blotches 

 on the forewings. These blotches appear as if they were suppressed 

 spots of a different texture scaling to the rest of the general ground 

 colour, and somew-hat lighter when seen at some angles. Some of the 

 specimens were already getting worn, while others were quite fresh. 

 On the way down l-'.rcbia (i/inlarns was the only insect met with and 

 that one got by disturbing it from its roosting places in the pine trees. 

 The undersides were mostly dusky, only one had a unifornily light 



