LATE SUMMER IN NORWAY. 15P> 



Late Summer in Norway. 



By P. A. and D. A. J. BUXTON. 

 I. — Lesje. 



'The insects with which the first part of this paper deals were taken 

 about the Romsdal-Gudbransdal watershed between July 25th and 

 August 1st, 1913. This is really much too late in the season for 

 collecting in Norway. The locality was also given a passing visit at, 

 the end of August. The watershed is formed, not of a ridge, but b}^ a 

 lake (Lesjeskogens Vand), at about 2,000ft. Pine forest rises from 

 this level to about 2,700fD., filling tbe whole country below that level, 

 except for a few hay-fields round the farms, and a number of bogs and 

 meres, mainly consisting of sphagnum, moss and cotton-grass. The 

 actual pine forest is not interesting, " reindeer-moss " forming almost 

 the only undergrowth. Above the pines, birch trees [Bftulu alba) 

 extend to 8,000ft. This zone is much more open, and there is an 

 undergrowth of blaeberry ( Vacciniiiiii vnjrtilliif.) supplemented by other 

 plants of the same genus, with I'ljnila spp., Trieittalin ennijuica, (Ji)runs 

 sitecica, etc. 



In damp places the birch trees and their undergrowth extend down- 

 wards as low as " lake level " (2,000ft.). Above tree-line, which is 

 sharply defined, the birch is replaced by a creeping ally, Betiila nana. 

 A dwarf willow, some two inches high, is found with many Ericaceous 

 and Vacciniaceous plants, such as are described below for the higher 

 zones in the Surendal. 



About fourteen species of butterflies were still flying at the end of 

 July. Except where otherwise stated it is to be presumed that the species 

 occurred near Lesjevoerk (2,000fc.). C'olias palacno var. lappunica was 

 taken round the edges of a bog ; males were fresh, females had not 

 appeared. One stray specimen was taken above tree-line. Judging 

 from the British Museum series, 2-3, 000ft. is normal for this insect 

 in Scandinavia. A specimen in poor condition turned up at 

 Molmen on August 29th. There was some variation in depth of 

 ground colour and in amount of dark markings. Brenthis selene 

 and B. euphrosi/ne were rather going over by July 25th. B. 

 pales var. arsilache and B. pales were in good condition ; the 

 former from 2,000it. to beyond tree line, the latter attaining an 

 altitude of nearly 4,000ft. The distinctness of the two forms was 

 not grasped at the time, but probably their ranges overlap, and some 

 specimens can hardly be assigned to one or the other form. A 

 form of Avfninniii niohe var. eris $ s was common enough and fairly 

 fresh, in some hay-fields. The Norse form is small, dull, and lacking 

 in red on the upperside, and also on the forewing underside. A. a<jlaia 

 also occurred. Coenon)/nip/ia patnphibis was always in poor condition. 

 Erebia liijea was freshly out. It seldom reached birch-lme, but was 

 common on sunny days, flitting over dandelions and hawkweeds in 

 glades and paths. This species, also C. painphilns and PlebeltiH 

 aiyi/foi/noinon, frequently sham death on being boxed, lying motionless 

 on their sides for many seconds. A(/lais iirticaf was not rare ; one 

 Foli/ipniia c-albiiin was taken at Horgheim, in lower Eomsdal, on 

 August 28th. (^'linjaoplianKH hippot/nw var. stieheii, Gerh., seemed 

 uncommon. It was fond of basking on yellow alpine CiDJiiposite 

 flowers at about 3,500ft. Fdli/nmniatiis icanis was ia pao^vabnflfJSifctiw^ 



\{\\ 27 1914 



