58 



THE ENTOMOLOGIST S EECORD. 



hood, though as you climb the mountains the jagged granite peaks 

 thrust their heads above the overlying sedimentary rocks. Good 

 accommodation is to be had at the Hotel Labat, and though our week 

 was sadly marred by rain, I feel sure from what we saw of the country 

 that its fauna and flora would prove as varied and interesting as those 

 of the much better known district around Vernet. 



North and south of Axat the road runs through two superb defiles. 

 The latter, known as the Defile of St. George, is about a mile from 

 Axat, and the narrow valley beyond it was by far the best hunting 

 ground we investigated. The road runs south for 15 miles from Axat 

 to the Baths of Escouloubres (2300ft.), with steep pine-covered 

 mountains on either hand, and everywhere along the roadside and in 

 the little gullies that ran up the cliffs, we found butterflies in abun- 

 dance. The most generally-distributed butterfly was Melitaea deione, 

 May 30th to June 4th. It was evidently past its prime, and, though 

 it looked fresh enough on the wing, we found that hardly one in four 

 or five was worth keeping. Mr. Lowe (aittea, p. 10) pronounces the 

 form as indistinguishable from that taken by him at La Grave last 

 summer. In the males the ground colour is very uniform, though in 

 most the third row of the brown spots (counting from the hind 

 margin) is just perceptibly lighter than the others. The females, as 

 might be expected, were much more variegated ; in one the outer row 

 of lunules on the hindwings is very pale straw colour, and the black 

 markings are coarse and heavy. The most conspicuous, if not the 

 commonest, butterfly was Ki(chloe etip/wnoiilefi, in splendid order, the- 

 females obviously not fully out, as we found plenty- of them a week 

 later at Vernet. In the males the red apical blotch was heavily 

 marked with black on the inner edge ; the black tip in the females 

 much suffused with orange. Both sexes were large fine insects, some 

 as large as 45mm. in expanse. Wherever the Bisnitella grew, one 

 was sure to find /'-'. euphenoidea and its ova, and one dull showery after- 

 noon we boxed quite a number of the butterflies from the yellow- 

 flowers they mimic so wonderfully. Iphidides podalirius gen. xevn.mieau, 

 the spring brood of var. feisthcunelii, flew everywhere, even up and 

 down the village street to the vast excitement of the petits garcons.- 

 Aporia cratae//i, Leptosia sinapu, and Aciriaden tlietis complete the list 

 of really abundant butterflies. In one field just beyond the St. 

 George defile, Mditaea aurinia was common though passe. A few 

 specimens seemed to be var. provinrialis. Here and there one picked 

 up il/. dictj/nna var. vernetensis, a form almost as bright as typical M. 

 athalia. It occurred a little more frequently a week later at Vernet.. 

 M. athalia was hardly out, odd specimens only being observed. Single 

 examples were taken of Loaeia alciphwii var. (pirdiua S and Pnntia 

 daplidice ^ . 



Two days devoted to the exploration of the big forests to the east 

 of Axat proved very disa|3pointing to the entomologists of the party .. 

 Butterflies were almost entirely absent, both from the meadows at the 

 foot of the mountains and in the open sunny glades among the trees. 

 Pararge egeria occurred sparingly, typical or nearlj^ so, bat very little 

 else. The doctor, who wielded a net with great enthusiasm and 

 success, brought back a single worn specimen of Brenthis dia from 

 the Foret des Fanges. Rondou gives it as uncommon in the Pyrenees. 

 The bare and stony slopes close to the town, covered with cistus and 



