BUTTERFLIES OF THE RHONE VALLEY. 205 



Early Summer amongst the Butterflies of the Rhone Valley. 



By JOHN ALDERSON. 

 {Continued from p. 187.) 



On the OUon side of Charpigny the hill is bounded by precipitous 

 •cliffs, where a few newly-emerged Paran/e viaera were flying about the 

 rocks. The two " swallow-tails " were both common at the highest 

 point in Charpigny, and occasional Eucanessa antiopa flew rapidly 

 past ; one specimen sitting on the leaf of a tree was netted, but its 

 •condition was very ragged. A few Krebia inedusa were flying in the 

 fields, and one <? specimen taken has the fulvous markings on the 

 upperside of the forewings quite as wedge-shaped, and as bright, as 

 those of E. ceto. A single Cijclopides palaenum was taken, and a few 

 Hesperia inalvae were noted. The return journey was made through 

 the woods on the St. Triphon side, where Paran/e egeria var. egerides 

 was added to the list, a few specimens, in a more or less worn con- 

 dition, flitting about the woodland paths. 



May 23rd was another ideal day for insect life, although the heat 

 proved very oppressive for collecting. The morning was spent on the 

 marshes lying on the Rhone side of the railway, between Aigle and 

 St. Triphon ; but the number of species met with here was strikingly 

 small. Melitaea aurinia, fairly common, but very worn, Aporia 

 crataei/i, in fair numbers and in prime condition, and Issoria latJionia, 

 of which I took the first decent specimen since my arrival, were the 

 only species of any interest. On the opposite side of the railway 

 Auyiades sijlvanus was now out in numbers. In the meadows leading 

 to the Gryonne Melitaea parthenie was swarming. I spent some time 

 working for this species and got a very nice series. Here, and in other 

 lowland localities where the species was found, 3/, partlienie varied 

 little from a well-defined form, which there is no danger of confounding 

 with M. athaiia, and it was not until I got upon the Simplon that I 

 came across M. parthenie -with a tendency towards the M. otiialia facies. 

 In the specimens of M. partlienie, which I have from the lowlands, 

 variation is slight, and generally confined to the intensity of the 

 ground colour, and the development of the transverse bands. In some 

 of the St. Triphon specimens the central transverse band on the upper 

 surface of the forewings is strikingly developed. 



The sun was now blazing fiercely, and the meadows were swarming 

 with butterflies, a large number of species being on the wing. Colias 

 hyale was most abundant, and Erehia meihisa and Melitaea cinxia were 

 both common. Amongst the "blues," Polyowmatus icariis and 

 Agriadea thetis were both frequent, and I was delighted to make the 

 acquaintance of that lovely " blue," Poh/oinmatiis lii/lus, which 

 was just emerging; flying in its pristine beauty in the brilliant sun- 

 shine, it is indeed a lovely little gem which cannot fail to inspire 

 admiration ; one specimen of ab. nigmpunctata was taken here. 

 Veniiia macnlata was noted flying in the meadows. A single specimen 

 of Eiigouia polgcldoros was seen flying over the Gryonne. I stayed 

 here until nightfall with the idea of working amongst the " blues " 

 after they had taken up their resting-positions ; buti found it not 

 such an easy matter to box them, for if one individual flew off, about 

 fifty would follow from the grass clump. I took nice series of both 

 Cupido usiris {sebrus) ^nA'^Plebeiim arggrognomon, one J of the former 



