threb: weeks in the abruzzi. 279 



not been for the underside ; Khujia sjii)ii, even when fre?h, was 

 remarkable for the dulness of the bhie spot at the anal angle of the hind- 

 wing; the c? s of Lotreia var. goniiiis, though well-spotted and not of a 

 very deep copper colour, were strongly suffused with purple, the $ s were 

 rather pale in colour, and neither sex showed any inclination towards 

 var. iitteruwdia, as they generally do in the southern vallevs of the Alps, 

 both in Italy (Val Vedro) and Switzerland (Val Maggia). Scanno is 

 certainly a place to be recommended to any entomologist visiting the 

 Abruzzi, and every yard of the road from Anversa should be n-alkcd in 

 both directions. 



We returned to Sulmona only for the night, and the following day 

 took our departure for Eoccaraso, some 35 miles distant on the line 

 towards Naples. Backwards and forwards and up and up, climbs the 

 line till we reach Canipo di Giove on " the roof of the world " — only 

 4,865ft. after all, but feeling at least 3,000ft. higher— after which we 

 descend slightly, passing the stations of Palena and Rivisondoli- 

 Pescocostanza, and finally arriving at Roccaraso, still more than 4,000ft. 

 above the sea-level. Here there is an excellent mountain hotel, the 

 Alberto Monte Maiella, consisting of three separate houses, each with 

 its own cuisine and public rooms as well as bed-rooms, in the furthest 

 of which we were ensconced. This is only open in the summer, but 

 there is a hotel at each of the two villages Rivisondoli and Pescocos- 

 tanza (famous for its lace-making) which are open in the winter 

 too; for this valley, where the snow lies far into March, and 

 the wolves come down and carry off the lambs, is the great 

 Italian resort for " winter sports " ; but for the entomologist Roccaraso 

 is far more eligible, and has the further advantage of lying much 

 nearer to its station ; though much time is wasted, if one desires 

 to make railway expeditions, in waiting for trains which are often an 

 hour late, though one must not reckon on this as they are occasionally 

 models of punctuality. The Monte Maiella is not one of the hotels of 

 phenomenal cheapness, but in July, 8fr. a day will procure pension with 

 a first tloor room, the second floor rooms are (with an unusual 

 appreciation of their superiority) rather more. Here we remained for 

 ten days, which we would gladly have prolonged, but Subiaco was 

 awaiting us, and we could not delay longer. Our first day was Sunday, 

 and I was only too thankfnl to make it a day of rest, but towards 

 evening we went out along a very rough hill-side path to the south of 

 the village, where P. ae(jon was sleeping on the grass-stems, in such 

 numbers as I have only seen equalled at the Ganter Bridge, below 

 Berisal. I had, however, no entomological equipment with me, and 

 could only take one in a small box lent to me for the purpose. In this 

 place the butterflies rested indiscriminately, head upwards or downwards, 

 or horizontally along a leaf, but I do not think they were really 

 settled for the night, as the slightest touch caused them to fiy off, 

 though, the sun being behind the hills, none had the uppersido of the 

 wings exposed. On the following day, Monday the iSih, I began 

 collecting in earnest. My first expedition was up the mountain on 

 which the hotel looks out, ascended by a rough path which begins at 

 the side of the cemetery, where I took a few Rmnicia pldaeas. On the 

 hillside itself there were a few Melanon/ia (jalatea, and great numbers 

 of I'U'beiiis aeijon, and on the nearly flat piece of what had once been 

 cultivated ground, just at the top, were a few Aifjijmm «/o6f and one or 



