72 THE entomologist's RECORD. 



abundant, and Satyrus alcyone was never out of sight. Dryas payidora 

 was also common, in some spots really abundant, though it is a 

 butterfly of which half a dozen make a good show. Satyrus circe was 

 also not uncommon, though less so than at Tragacete. Papilio 

 podalirina was also commoner here than elsewhere, probably because 

 we were rather late for it, but also because fruit-trees were here more 

 numerous. Miianaryia lachesis was abundant, and, indeed, if we 

 except the special Albarracin butterflies, and perhaps Polyoinmatm 

 admctua, we found here all the butterflies that we met with in the 

 other localities. One species, Miianaryia ines, that we expected to see, 

 failed us absolutely, but we took one very worn and faded M. syllins, 

 a species that probably was in force six weeks earlier. 



Many beetles were abundant, especially those such as Mylabris and 

 others that affected flowers. Mylabris of several species, but chiefly, 

 perhaps, qaadri punctata, was found everywhere, but in places swarmed 

 on the flowers, and was most conspicuous throughout the whole 

 region. As Mr. Champion carefully exploited the beetles, I felt no 

 regret at not being a coleopterist, but the number, size, and beauty of 

 the Hymenoptera, and the abundance of miny species of Orthoptera, 

 including Mantids, walking-sticks, and other forms strange to us in 

 England, certainly made one feel that attention to these orders would 

 have been most interesting and profitable ; but, unfortunately, time 

 would not permit it, even had my education been adequate to the task. 

 Diptera were not, by comparison, either so abundant or so attractive 

 as I have seen elsewhere, but still sometimes forced us to notice 

 them, as, for instance, when I captured at Tragacete a pair of large 

 Asilids, of which the female carried a large Buprcstis {Ancylochcira), 

 transfixed by her proboscis through the cephalothoracic articulation, 

 and quite dead. How she captured this very active beetle, and how- 

 she introduced her proboscis into this joint, which the beetle can hold 

 so firmly closed, was more than I could guess. On another occasion 

 I found another fly of the same species carrying another beetle 

 similarly transfixed. 



Except along the banks of the two rivers, the neighbourhood of 

 Cuenca was devoid of trees, and the uplands were bare dry limestone 

 <lowns, with a sparse clothing of small shrubs and aromatic plants. 

 .\ species of oak was here a very small shrub, though apparently 

 one that is a considerable tree in places (as near Tragacete), it may, 

 however, have been Qufrrus coccifera, a dwarf species. On these downs 

 insects were nnich rarer than below, and, except Papilio uiachaon and Saty- 

 rus alcyone, and a few Thccla njtini, and perhaps T. ilicis, butterflies hardly 

 appeared. In the evenings, hoAvever, several species of micro-lepidop- 

 tera occurred, and (leometrids, plumes, and Tineids of several species 

 were taken. The great ant-lion, Palparcs hispanus, was frequent here, 

 and is a most imposing creature on the wing, and one or two other 

 Myrnniconidae occurred. A fair number of these and of other Neurop- 

 tera (dragonflies, &g.) were taken. These I have given to Mr. 

 McLachlan, who will no doubt report on them, if any of them arc 

 worth the trouble. 



The outskirts of the pine forests of the Albarracin Sierra are eight 

 or ten miles from Cuenca, and here, as well as elsewhere, a mere 

 visitor can only guess, bat is probably not far wrong in supposing, that, 

 where the country is now bare and arid, in the intermediate region, 



