256 THE entomologist's record. 



two things struck me specially, the large number of Lycngnids (in the 

 widest sense) and the extreme poverty of the Erebias. Of the former I 

 took 25 species in the Abruzzi (I have taken others elsewhere in the 

 Apennines), of which 17 were "blues," 4 " coppers," and 4 "hair- 

 streaks"; on the other hand the Erebias were represented by a few 

 worn Erebia stymie, and this at a height at which in Switzerland one 

 would probably have found seven or eight species at least. The Hesperiids 

 were fairly well represented, as were the Pierids, and, in the latter 

 group, my most interesting discovery was made, for Pierls enjane is 

 widely distributed in this part of the Apennines; 1 took it at Sulmona, 

 Roccaraso, and Subiaco, though unfortunately it was only at the latter 

 place that I became suddenly aware of the fact, otherwise I might have 

 had specimens for some of iny kind friends. The Melitasas were 

 represented only by a few Melitaea didi/uia, still fewer specimens of a 

 small, heavily-marked form of M. phoebe, and by numerous M. partlunie ; 

 the Brenthids only by a few worn-out Brmthix daphne at Scanno ; but 

 I took all the large fritillaries except Dn/as pandora, though Ari/i/nnis 

 af/laia and A. niobe were the only two that were even fairly common. 

 Vanessids were scarce, Envanessa antiopa and Poh/gonia et/ea being the 

 least so, but the former were unapproachable and the latter generally worn 

 out ; Limenitls caiidlla was not uncommon at Roccaraso, but I saw it 

 nowhere else till I got to Subiaco. For most of the Satyridae I was 

 perhaps too early; Paran/e meijaera however was everywhere, P. egeria 

 was scarce, and not of the southern form, and P. viaera was common 

 only at Roccaraso. I saw one Satynis cordula only at Palena, 

 Hipparchia alcyone being common at one spot below Villalago, and a 

 few H. semele appearing at Roccaraso ; the genus Epineplide was more 

 in evidence, while C. pampldbia and C. arcania alone represented 

 Coenonyinpha. Melanori/ia i/alatca Avas to be found everywhere, the 

 lowland form having a strong tendency to obsolescence of the under- 

 side markings, while many of the upland specimens might have come 

 from the Vale of the White Horse, or some other English locality. 



Our first destination in the Abruzzi was its capital, Aquila, but it 

 is impossible to get there direct. The shortest way is probably by 

 Ancona and Pescara, but the temptation of even one day in Florence 

 was great, so leaving Charing Cross at 2.20 p.m. on the 5th, we arrived 

 at Florence at about 11 p.m. on the 6th, remaining there for two nights. 

 The morning of the 7th was so bright that I never thought of the 

 possibility of rain in the afternoon, and put oft" my visit to my old 

 hunting-ground at Fiesole till after lunch, but alas ! I had hardly 

 arrived when a violent thunderstorm broke out, and I had not more than 

 five minutes of sunshine. I disturbed a few Lycaenids in the grass and 

 heather, but Polyowwatus escheri on which I had reckoned, was only 

 represented by one $ , and P. icams was the only other species taken. 

 Adnpaea lineola was common, as were also Epinephele jiirtina and 

 Melanargia galatea, the only other butterflies I saw were Pieris hrassicae, 

 P. rapae, and Colias edusa. Even from Florence it is impossible to get 

 to Aquila in the day, the trains on the branch line being few and 

 awkward, so our journey was again broken by spending the night at 

 Assisi, where we arrived in time for a short hunt on the grass slope 

 above the cemetery road where I had so often been last year. Ar/riadefi 

 thetis 3 s were worn out but the $ s were still in good condition ; I 

 was not, however, lucky enough to pick up any more specimens of the 



