266 THE entomologist's record. 



On October 25th he wrote to me to say he was sending " ^ ^ and 

 $ 2 of the Myrmica lohicorms, taken at Sully," and he mentioned 

 that " . . . . the transverse ridge on the antennae of the ant 

 looks unusually developed." On examining them I at once recognised 

 that they were Myiiiiica schencki, Emery, a form not known to have 

 occurred in Britain before. 



Hallett tells me the nest was situated in a bank of stiff marly soil, 

 the entrance being a small round hole, much as is made by the smaller 

 bees {Halictim, etc.). 



As to whether nchencki should be regarded as a good species, sub- 

 species, or variety, is really not of much value, as in any case it is a 

 quite distinct form, and all the individuals in the colony are alike. 



Emery^ now considers it to be a subspecies of scabrinodis, and ForeP 

 is of the same opinion, though he prefers his old name " race " to 

 "subspecies." Forel on the other hand considers lobicornis to be a 

 good species, but Emery also treats this as a subspecies of scabrinodis. 

 In 1910 Wheeler^ calls scabrinodis a subspecies of M. rubra, L,, and 

 schencki a var. of scabrinodis : but in 1911 he writes [Journ. Neiv York 

 Ent. Soc, 19, 163 (1911)] : — ■" Myrmica rubra or some one of the 

 closely allied species [scabrinodis, levinodis, rtiyulosa, etc.) which were 

 formerly regarded as mere subspecies." 



I prefer to follow this later view. Mr. Hallett is to be congratu- 

 lated on discovering this interesting ant in Britain. 



Notes on the Swiss Rhopalocera. VII. 



By the late A. J. FISON. 



(Communicated by Miss L. M. Fison.) 



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



1. Miscellaneous. 1908. 



Grand Hotel des Bains, Bex, May 21st, 1908. 



" At Charpigny this year there seem to be more dark Papilio 

 machaon than usual .... and from the light colour of the anal 

 spot I think all must be ab. bttrdiyalensis, Trimoulet. I also took a 

 Papilio podalirius with an extra line. Both types are very common at 

 Charpigny this year .... The cold, and quite three weeks late, 

 spring has been making up for lost time the last fortnight. I never 

 saw things advance so rapidly. A collector has taken twelve or more 

 Everes coretas and Scolitantides orion at Branson, and up to date too." 



[Dark P. inacliaon were quite moderately common at Charpigny in 

 1913.14._L.M.F.] 



2. The Season 1908-9. 



Bex, May 25th, 1909. 

 ' ' Last season was not a very good one .... In June I went 

 for a fortnight to Champery. At Bonaveau there were some interest- 

 ing Erebia oenie with very small spots, or almost none ; but my best 

 catch was Parnassius deliiis, close above Champery village, where the 

 stream divides. A series of about twelve or fourteen taken in some 

 forty minutes, contained finer marked females and more variation than 

 one usually gets in these parts. On July 2nd I was at Eclepens, on 

 my way to Yverdon, and left on the 8th. I only saw one black 



