1S91.] 



A FORTNIGHT IN ALGERIA, WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF NEW 

 LEPIDOPTERA. 



BY E. METRICK, B A., F.Z.S. 



Tn A[)ri], 1^90, having a limited period of three weeks at 

 my disposal, T determined to make an entomological trip to Algeria. 

 One week was consumed in the double journey ; in the remaining 

 fortnight I traversed a good deal of ground, and although little favoured 

 by weather and considerably incommoded b}^ ill-health, I acquired a 

 certain amount of material, which has proved to be of some interest. 

 The winter in Algeria had been, as I was told, unusually cold and wet, 

 and rain fell frequently during my stay ; even in the Sahara we had a 

 heavy fall, probably quite an inch, one night Hence insects were 

 presumably backward ; and on the high plateaux, above 4000 feet, 

 there was a good deal of fresh snow, and it was still too early even to 

 attempt collecting there. 



I landed at Philippeville, and spent three days there ; the high 

 surrounding hills, covered with a dense growth of Cisfus, JErica, and a 

 great variety of other shrubs and flowering plants (but few trees), 

 seemed an ideal collecting ground, but insects were very scarce ; I 

 believe that a month later better results would be obtained. Thence I 

 proceeded to Constantine, about 60 miles inland, the ancient IN^umidian 

 capital ; perched on a table of rock at an elevation of some 2000 feet, 

 enclosed by an immense ravine, and surrounded by rocky hills with but 

 little vegetation, it could at no time be very prolific. I made no 

 attempt under the circumstances to visit the cedar forests, which lie 

 at high levels, but went on to Biskra, which was the chief goal of my 

 journey. It is an oasis of 100,000 date palms, situated within the 

 verge of the plain of the Sahara, nearly 200 miles from the coast, and 

 about 3o0 feet above sea level. For some 60 miles before reaching it 

 the country is desert, but consists of high limestone ranges, which 

 terminate abruptly in the great sand plain. Vegetation at Biskra, ex- 

 cept in the irrigated gardens of the oasis, seems at first sight to be 

 entirely absent ; but in fact there is almost everywhere a scanty 

 sprinkling of little shrubby plants of quite a number of species, pecu- 

 liar to the desert. These are, however, so efiiciently browsed by the 

 numerous goats and camels of the Arabs, that many insects must be 

 unable to exist there on that account alone. Moreover, the neighbour- 

 hood of the intensely heated plain on one side, and the high snow- 

 topped ranges on the other, cause Biskra to be a very windy place ; 

 in point of fact, except on the first evening, it blew more or 



