1901.1 27 



Pheretes was first observed. At this place we were overtaken by a 

 spell of cold weather, which remained with us all the time we were 

 on the Dovrefjeld, and did much no doubt to minimize the results of 

 our collecting. 



Keaching Domaas on June 30th we remained there till July 2nd. 

 On our way from Braendhaugen we had seen little on account of the 

 rain. At Domaas we found we had got quite into the Alpine country, 

 Silene acaulis growing freely along the river side. Gentiana nivalis 

 was also observed, together with many other interesting plants already 

 seen lower down. Lyccena Pheretes was the butterfly of the waste 

 ground near the river ; it was in the greatest abundance, and both 

 sexes were in lovely condition. 



We proceeded to Fokstuen on July 2nd. As the road ascends the 

 pines give place to birch, then the birch becomes mixed with Betula 

 nana. When the plateau is attained a few miles from Pokstuen the 

 eye has before it a treeless waste of tundra-like barrenness. About 

 the pine limit Erehia Ir/ppona appeared ; this proved to be the com- 

 monest butterfly at Fokstuen, and it ranged to a considerable height 

 above the station. Ghionohas Noma flew on the dry stony slopes of 

 Blaahoe just above the hotel, but it was in poor condition, the wings 

 seldom ragged (because the weather had been fine), but often practi- 

 cally scaleless. It also visited a swampy grassy slope, a favourite 

 haunt of Argynnis Pales, of which half a dozen perfect examples 

 were here taken. S. centaurece^ A. Euphrosyne, L. Pheretes, and L. 

 optilete, were the only other butterflies taken at Fokstuen, excepting 

 A. Freija,oi which two examples in better condition than the Saeters- 

 toen ones were seen. On the whole I was disappointed with the 

 numbers of butterflies here, but no doubt the cold weather was partly 

 to blame for this. 



Certainly the most noteworthy insect of the Fokstuen region was 

 jEschna ccerulea. It was everywhere amongst the openings in the 

 birch thickets on the lower slopes of Blaahoe. The days were very 

 cold, usually bright with sunshine in the earlier part but with a bitter 

 wind, which seemed to increase in intensity as the day went on, the sky 

 usually becoming more or less overcast. In the bright sunshine the 

 Dragon-flies flew about rather freely, but later they became sluggish. 

 They eagerly sought the places most exposed to the sun, and particu- 

 larly loved to rest on the chalky-white bark of the birches, as many 

 as three having been seen so resting close together on one trunk, and 

 in one such case an example was taken with the fingers. Along with 

 ^. ccerulea, but much rarer, was Somatochlora alpestris. 



