THE SOUTH-EASTERN PYRENEES IN EARLY JUNE. 59 



various aromatic plants, were likewise very barren of insect life. 

 Everes alcetas occurred freely in one place close to the high road to 

 Rivesaltes, and a few " Burnets " flew on one difficult slope ; Anthro- 

 cera lavandulae and A. trifolii were caught and identified. 



On June 5th we left Axat for Vernet. Taking train to the next 

 station east, we walked over the mountains in a south-easterly direc- 

 tion to Molitg, and so to Vernet. A glorious morning gave way about 

 eleven to clouds and mist, and the whole of the tramp across the 

 watershed between the valleys of the Aude and the Tet was spent in 

 heavy rain. The highest point reached was about 4000 feet, and we 

 had hoped much from our journey over this terra incognita. We lost 

 our bearings on the top, a boggy, treeless plateau, had an adventure 

 with a Pyrenean bull, which warmed our damp half-frozen limbs, and 

 finally got down late in the day to Molitg, a spa on the little Castillane 

 River some five or six kilometres north-west of Prades. Molitg would, 

 I tbink, well repay a prolonged visit. Behind it lies an immense 

 expanse of wild mountainous countrj^ while in front the ground slopes 

 southwards down to the valley of the Tet, and is bathed in sunshine 

 nearly all the day. The accommodation was by far the best we fell in 

 with during our journeyings, and the price very reasonable. On the 

 roadside below the hotels, I made my first acquaintance with Thais var. 

 medesieaate, which seemed to turn up singly wherever the Aristolochia 

 grew. A single specimen of ScoUtantides orion was taken, but to us 

 Eptnep/tele pasiphae was even more interesting. It flew among the 

 cistus bushes on the rubble slopes above the road, diving in and out of 

 the stems close to the ground, a most provoking habit, which rendered 

 it very hard to catch. All taken were males, and in the finest condi- 

 tion. A dozen satisfied us, for we fully expected to find it at Vernet, 

 but we never saw it again. Among other butterflies there occurred 

 Melitaea deione, M. didi/ma, Plebeins aripis, and Kveres alcetas. 



A week at Vernet closed our short tour, a week of low temperatures 

 and heavy rain. Vernet has been so much written of that I will not 

 add thereto. Enough to say that Melitaea deione and Euchloe euphe- 

 noides were equally common, M. didi/ma and M. cin.via only a little less 

 so, while Aporia crataef/i swarmed in thousands. I noticed that red 

 clover seemed to be far and away their favourite flower. At one place 

 in the road above Casteil, I counted 42 A. rrataei/i sitting on a patch in 

 the road small enough to be covered with a net, and 17 more on a 

 smaller patch within a j'ard. I think M. deione and other butterflies 

 found at both places were fresher at Vernet than at Axat, 1000 feet 

 lower. ScoUtantides orion gen. vern. ornata was nearly over at Vernet, 

 while Plehi'iiis arr/us referable to var. pj/renaica was only just out. 



The following is the complete list of butterflies seen or taken at 

 Axat (May 30th to June 4th), Molitg (June 5th), Vernet (June 6th to 

 18th): — Erijiuiis alt/taeae, C alceae (\ ernet) , Hesperia cart/ianii,II. alvcns, 

 H.serratnlae, H. jnalrae, Poirellia sao,Xisoniadt'S tai/es, Aiiiiiadea sijlraniis, 

 TJujinelicKs /iavus, Loireia var. (p>rdiiis, L. dorilis, Itioiricia phlaeas, Ciipido 

 ininiiiius, ('. osiris [sebrns) i'l/aniris seiniari/iis, Glaucopsyclw cyllarus, 

 Aijriades t/tetis, Poli/onnnattis icarns,Aricia astrarc/ie (atjestis) , ScoUtantides 

 orion (not at Axat), Plebeius arifus, Everes alcetas, Callop/irijs ruhi, 

 Neineobiiis liicina, Iplticlides podalirins Yur. feistliainelii gen. vern. inieffii, 

 Papilio niacliaon, Thais var. inedesicaste (not Axat), Parnassius apollo 

 (Vernet), P. inneinosijne (Vernet), Aporia crataeyi, Pieris brassicae, P. 



