1.S99.] 187 



area between Mont Lozere (5580 ft.) in the north and Mont Aigoual 

 (5140 ft.) in the south. These mountains, in a broad sense, are chiefly 

 composed of metamorphio and granitic rocks with volcanic rocks in 

 places. The higher slopes are for the most part bare of vegetation ; 

 but the lower slopes are mostly covered with forest (principally 

 chestnut), the valleys in some places are in a high state of cultivation. 



The town of Florae, situated in the centre of this comparative 

 limited area, I selected as my head-quarters. I was accompanied by 

 my brother, who was on a sketching tour. We broke the journey at 

 Clermont Ferrand, which gave me an opportunity of a day's collecting 

 in the Auvergne. A few hours' drive brought us to the foot of the 

 Puy de Dome amid beautiful collecting ground, but the day was not 

 favourable for butterflies, as the sunshine was not sufficiently con- 

 tinuous. Erehia Stygnewsis, just coming out, and Si/richthus alveus was 

 common in open places. Geometrce were in considerable numbers, 

 especially Fidonia limharia, which flew in swarms over the broom. 



The express train to Mende leaving at 4 o'clock in the morning, 

 we decided to start by a later one. At Arvant the train commences 

 its mountainous journey, and after various changes we arrived at 

 St. Flour, an interesting old town situated on the top of a hill, and 

 presenting from the railway station a picturesque appearance. On 

 this occasion it was quite agreeable to find that we had five hours to 

 wait for a train, thus giving us time to visit the town. 



Resting the night at Mende, the following morning I had a day's 

 collecting on the little mountain close to the town, but the wind was 

 bitterly cold, and I saw but few Jjcpidoptera. The top of the moun- 

 tain presented an extreme barrenness, very thickly covered with stones 

 and with scarcely a blade of grass. At Mende the railway ceases, and 

 after a drive of six hours by way of the Col de Montmirat (about 

 4000 ft.), from which there is a fine view, we arrived at Florae (2000 

 ft.). Florae is situated in a fertile valley on the river Tarnon, which 

 runs into the river Tarn. The rocks Les Rochers de Rochefort form 

 the western boundary of the valley, and have a somewhat imposing 

 appearance ; along the ridges beneath them is probably some of the 

 best collecting ground in the neighbourhood, for although the weather 

 was bad for the first five days, cold wind, occasionally wet, and a total 

 absence of sunshine, I managed to dislodge Acoiitia luctuosa, Agro- 

 phila sulphuralis, Pellonia calabraria, Acidalia oclirata, sericeata (a 

 beautiful species occurring in Southern Europe), litigiosaria, humiliata, 

 holosericata, rufaria, Cidaria bilitieata, Eubolia hipunctaria, and among 



