A VISIT TO LE LAUTARET. O 



at SOOffc. lower. Cupido )iiiuiiitnti was frequent, but never common as 

 Tutt found it. A few specimens of Alhul'uia pheretes and P. Injlas, 

 which Tutt did not take, occurred, but were nowhere common. 



P(ih/o)iiiiiatiiti esclteri. — 1 tool\ this species a little below Le Lautaret, 

 the highest point about 400ft. beloAV the Hospice, say about 6,400ft. 

 It occurred here perhaps ten days later than at Bourg d'Oisans. j\ly 

 observations lead me to believe that this species is single-brooded at 

 all the levels at which I have taken it, but I do not feel at all certain 

 as to this. At each locality where I have taken it, it appears to have 

 a local race distinguishable from others by size, by amount of darken- 

 ing of the borders, in darkness of underside, etc., though there is 

 generally sufficient variability in each race to make the characters of 

 the local race not necessarily those of every specimen. 



The Lautaret specimens are as small as any I have met with, viz., 

 about 32-34mm. Those from Gavarnie in the Pyrenees are about 34- 

 36mm., those from Binn very little larger. Wheeler {ButU. of Sicitz.) 

 gives 38mm., which is probably a fair average for Swiss forms. Those 

 taken at Bourg d'Oisans range about 38-42mm., and those taken last 

 year at Bourg St. Maurice and elsewhere in the Valley of the Isere 

 were rather larger. They were also notable as having many specimens 

 with much more black shading towards the margin and towards the 

 ends of the veins. The largest and finest specimens also showed most 

 distinctly the white sheen along the veins towards the costa, which 

 give these larger specimens so much brilliancy when alive ; the same 

 white gloss is perhaps seen in other species, most often in fine large 

 P. icaniii. Specimens from Courmayeur range about 36mm. to 38mm. 



Mr. Tutt saw, but did not take, Parnassiits delins. I did not see a 

 specimen, nor did I happen to come across a very hopeful locality for 

 it, though there must be many in the region, the food plant of /'. delitDt 

 was frequently seen but never in the quantity that F. delius affects. 

 P. apollo occurred in various places, both above and below the Hospice, 

 but only commonly some 500ft. lower. Though Colias. jiliicoinonc Avas 

 common ('. palacnn was not seen, though Vacciniina o/itilete which 

 has the same foodplant occurred in odd specimens. 



On .July 31st I took on ground some 400ft. or 500ft. above Le 

 Lautaret, and towards Villar d'Arene a black Anjij)inis (ujlaia. It is 

 not in quite perfect condition, and very closely resembles the figure 

 given on pi. viii., vol. xiv., p. 311, of the Knt. Uecord. 



A species not referred to by Tutt is Krehia (/laciali^. The species 

 is no doubt common, probably occurring in all suitable localities, of 

 which many are visible (from below) on all sides. On each of my 

 visits I saw this on the Col du Galibier and neighbouring slopes. On 

 my visit there this year on July 27th, it was fairly common, but as 

 usual difficult to catch, and owing to want of sun not on the wing all 

 the time. The form occurring here is an absolutely black one. I have 

 one specimen on the underside of which a little brownish may be 

 detected by a willing observer. This idiitn form is the only one I have 

 seen here, though probably it affords other forms as rare aberrations. 



Tutt notices the close approach in general aspect that occurs at Le 

 Lautaret between Erehia }nelamiim and Erehia pliarte, and goes so far 

 as to assert that, at this locality, whatever they are elsewhere, they 

 are one species. Mr. Elwes was, apparently {Ent. Soc. Land., 

 November 4th, 1896), in full agreement with him in the matter, nor 



