THllKE \VEEKh' holiday AMONG THE IJL Tl'EKFLIES 01' SWIT/EKLAXD . 289 



ing nie of thimble rig. i have met also with several good plants at 

 various times here — Pintjninda Insitanira, L'iccndia rilifdrvie, iind, some 

 years ago, Lciicnbri/inii iiiinns, then new to Europe. 



1 would only add in conclusion that those who want good collecting, 

 combined with a really pleasant country, cannot do better than ti-y 

 their luck in the neighbourhood of Lymington. 



Three weeks' holiday among the butterflies of Switzerland. 



By (Hev.) a. miles MOSS, M.A. 



I spent a brief three weeks' holiday, July 5th-30th, this year, in 

 Switzerland, and the time was occupied in hard work, in the entomo- 

 logical sense, and of close and careful observation. I think 1 may 

 fairly add that they were by no means unattended with success. 

 Among the butterflies I brought away 68 species ; I observed, also, in 

 more or less abundance, some 14 others which I had no special desire 

 to take, and there is little doubt that I saw, at different times and 

 places, several othei' species whose identity I did not recognise. I 

 regard my net total of 82 species, however, for July, as satisfactory 

 and encouraging. 



I journeyed ria Dieppe and Paris, and after a cold night's ride from 

 Paris I commenced observations in the early morning out of the 

 window of the railway carriage. Miianarijia i/alathea and Enodia 

 hi/]H'ranthii.s were among the first species to show up, and then, as the 

 train pulled up for a moment at a luggage siding, a magnificent speci- 

 men of 7y/;»('»i?/.sy>o7n(/i, after a few graceful turns over a heap of stones, 

 settled right in front of the carriage window. My net was unready, 

 the train went on, and L. jiojndi retained its freedom. The train 

 arrived at Bex about 1 p.m., and here a two hours' stay was necessary 

 before the electric tram was ready to start up the steep incline to 

 Villars, some 4000ft. above the sea level. The journey took another two 

 hours, but the lethargic pace of the car was to some extent compensated 

 by the gorgeous views which met one at every turn, whilst Argynnids, 

 Vanessids, Pierids, and Erebiids began to appear in almost the same 

 profusion as the flowers which lined the banks. 



On reaching the hotel, my first capture was Aporia rrataegi, a 

 specimen of which I knocked down with my hat as I crossed the 

 garden ; this species proved to be one of the commonest in the district. 

 Though I could not resist the temptation of boxing a nice specimen 

 of Scoria dcalhata which flew out of the grass on my way to church, 

 entomology proper began on Monday. 1 met no other entomologists 

 in the district, but as a matter of fact I do not think my captures 

 would have been seriously diminished if half the lepidopterists of Great 

 Britain had been staying there. Every field was full of flowers, and 

 every flower seemed to have its butterfly. I knew nothing of the place 

 before starting, but it was soon clear that it was an admirable hunting 

 ground. 



After the usual unsatisfactory repast of coftee and rolls, I started 

 ofl' with a large balloon net and a knapsack full of pillboxes, a cyanide 

 bottle and zinc box for pinning, intending to give the place a general 

 survey. In an hour and a half 1 was back at the hotel full up, having 

 gone only about 100 yards from the ground, and after emptying my 

 boxes I was oli" again, and once more returned with them cjuite full, 



