18 THE ENTOMOliOGIST's RECORD. 



probably it was too early in the year, but I should hardly think at 

 any time the richly-cultivated banks of the Nile would favour a very 

 great variety of species. Certainly, all the land in the neighbourhood 

 of Cairo seemed thoroughly to suit I'ljrameis cardtti, which, with (Jolias 

 cdiisa and the less common PieriH rapae, was one of the most abundant 

 butterflies in the fields and gardens during the early part of April ; 

 even up the river at Assuan, in March, I observed one or two 

 specimens rejoicing in the few parched-looking flowers growing in the 

 little gardens at the edge of the desert. 



The large and handsome Limnas chri/sippiis I saw for the first time 

 at Komombo, where several were flitting about in a field amongst 

 some castor-oil plants. I afterwards observed it at Cairo and Assuan, 

 but it seemed rather local. Still more local was Plebeins loeirci, 

 which I only took in one locality, viz., the Mokattam Hills near Cairo, 

 on April 17th, flying with Melitaea didyvia over the scrubby desert 

 plants which spring up here and there after rain, and give a green 

 tinge to the vast expanse of golden sand. Of the other " blues " 

 observed Lainiiidca boeticus was a common insect in every field and 

 garden from Cairo to Luxor (February 6th) and Assuan (March 3rd); 

 the pretty little Tarncus thenphrastits was constantly seen flitting about 

 the flower-beds at Luxor (February 6th), and at Assuan (March 2nd), 

 and Zizera hjsiiuon seemed universally distributed from Cairo (April 

 17th) to Assuan (February 26th). 



In the Barrage gardens, near Cairo, I took two specimens of 

 Cliajtru viathias on April 11th and 16th, and Gei/eiics ndstradaiints. 

 taken in the afternoon of March 18th at Assuan, completed the very 

 short list of Ijutterflies observed. 



The lights on the steamer at night, as we sailed up the Nile, or 

 lay at anchor oil' the bank betAveen Cairo and Assuan, attracted quite 

 a number of species, such as Peridrunia ijimlo)i (suffiisa), abundant 

 Assiout, Januaiy 31st ; Euxoa spinifera, Assiout, January 29th ; 

 .Sjioduiitera abysdnia, Dendera, February 2nd ; Trichiitra obsoleta, 

 Luxor, February 5th ; Hydrilla tnacidifera, Luxor, February 5th ; 

 Kroiiieue ocellea, abundant everywhere ; Thylacuptila pairyaseuia, Luxor, 

 February 8th ; and, in greater numbers than all, Nomophila noctiiella, 

 which not only abounded at the lights at night, but was on the alert all 

 through the day, ever ready to start up from the grass at the approach 

 of an intruder's footstep. All through the latter part of January, in 

 February, March, and April, it was on the wing, extending from 

 Alexandria to Assuan. 



The only hawk moth I observed, was Phrya'iis livornica, which I 

 took both at Cairo and Assuan during March and April. It was a 

 common sight to see one or two of these beautiful creatures hovering 

 over the flower-beds immediately after sunset, poised in the air for a 

 moment with quivering wings, and then darting oft' as quickly as they 

 had come. About twenty minutes later, simultaneously with the 

 croaking of the frogs and the shrill chirping of the crickets, numerous 

 small moths began to flit about amongst the low-growing herbage in 

 the neighbourhood of Assuan. Chief amongst these were Tcplirind 

 dispiitaria, NncfKcHa /loralis, Cornifrons idceratalu, hhiiatlieudcs HtrcDin- 

 ndla, Hellida, uudatis, Heter(i<iraphhconni'xella, H. af/rajdidla, fl. carrua, 

 H. dccoloiella, Sescunia cretiea, Mestlcto r/aynen', and I'cntholopha hidis. 



In the same locality, at about the same time, a row of sunflowers 



