84 THE entomologist's record, 



rather tentatively as var. leucntera, Step. My El Kantara specimens 

 show some tendency to approxinaate to this Saharan form. They 

 are characterised by an almost obsolete black tip to the forewing 

 upperside, in the male at any rate. P. bmasicae also occurs in 

 the gardens, though rarely. Pontia daplidice was common along 

 the edge of the oasis, e.g., in the barley patches. It was in fair 

 condition by April 17th. It appears that there are two well-marKed 

 forms of this species in Algeria, a form in the Tell and mountains, 

 and var,* albidice, Obth., in the real desert. The form from El Kantara 

 is intermediate, though nearer the mountain form, from which it differs 

 in having its underside paler and of a clearer yellow. In fact it is 

 nearer the Spanish variety than that from the Algerian mountains. 

 Papilio podaliriiis was just beginning to appear when I left on April 

 18th. 



Out in the stony desert Latnpides hoetica, Pi/ranteis cardiii and Colias 

 edum were common enough, but some interesting species also occurred. 

 The most abundant of these was Euchlo'e charlonia. This singularly 

 unvarying butterfly could be taken ad nauseam all over the desert. It 

 was in good condition at the time of my visit. Various very swift 

 white butterflies were to be seen. If I had read up the butterflies of 

 the place before going thither I should doubtless have cared more for 

 these insects. It is no easy matter to course over stony desert in a hot 

 sun after a very agile insect that may only be Anthodtans bdia. Con- 

 sequently these insects were neglected. However, I took not only A. 

 belia, but also \A. beleiiiia var. eimnescens, Rober. (?) and A. fallnui. Of 

 the last, a rare insect, I captured four males on Mount Lalbatre, a red 

 hill four hours' ride, south of El Kantara. This locality well repays a 

 visit; an Arab butterfly hunter, Boukhsarah Mohammed, who accom- 

 panied me, showed me the food-plant of Teracolus nouna. This butter- 

 fly was not yet flying ; it is remarkable as being about the only truly 

 African butterfly found in Algeria. The mountain side is scored with 

 sharp-cut little oueds (wadis), and the roughness of some of the ground 

 quite beggars description. Such is the haunt of AnthocharU falloui. 

 Papilio iiiachaon var. hospitonides flies over the desert, though its 

 emergence was barely commenced when I had to return northwards. 

 This form is so named by Oberthiir because its larva resembles that of 

 P. lioHpiton rather than of P. viachaon. I suppose this sort of variation 

 to be almost unparallelled in the present state of our knowledge. The 

 imago shows no tendency to assume the facies of P. hospiton. 



Eiicldoe eujihenQ (belia) was occasionally taken. I fancy that this 

 place must be near ttie southern limit of its range. The few specimens 

 taken are distinctly small. Melanargia ines was taken, but very 

 sparingly, on the base of the crags at the side of the gorge. The 

 ground colour of my ^ is white, of my J creamy. The g has a 

 supplementary hindwing ocellus between the two groups of ocelli, 

 which are normal to the species. This ocellus is very imperfect, and 

 more conspicuous from above than from below. The species is, of 

 course, very conspicuous in flight, and certainly not so strong on the 

 wing as Pieris rapae. In the same place I took the very small form of 



*Etiides (VEntomologic, VI., p. 47. Cf. also Novit. Zoolog., XX., p. 110, Seitz., 

 Macrolei). of World (Palaearctic Div.), vol. I., p. 49, and pi. 21 f. 



fProbably an intermediate leading up to var. evanescens (? = desertorum, Tnr.) 

 ■which occurs further south. 



