38 THE ENTO:\rOLOGIST's RECORD. 



fforida, close to Bejar, and higher np Ci/tisKs inhciffichii, v;\th lavender, 

 thyme, and many other aromatic plants. Here and there some oak 

 scrub, with, of course, chestnuts and walnuts. Near Bejar Hetcro- 

 iiynis parailoxa occurred on this road, and Xouiiades welanops was 

 perhaps the only butterfly more notable than such species as Epine- 

 pJu'lc janira S . From Candelario a very few yards takes one clear of 

 trees out on to the bare top of a low foot hill, where the bare stony 

 ground grew only a few aromatic plants. On this ground Titanio 

 polUmdis var. (inttidalis was frequent. Some 2000 feet higher up, in 

 a damp almost boggy spot, another specimen was taken flying wildly 

 at midday, that can only be ;iiittnlalis, but looks nearly twice the size 

 of those taken below, and actually measures 24mm. in expanse, against 

 17mm. for those taken below. 



Continuing up the Sierra we next crossed a short bit of level grassy 

 ground, and then began the steady upward slope, at first gradual, but 

 soon becoming rather steep, that continued to the top. For a good 

 way this is over stony ground that is not screes, because it is hardly 

 steep enough, here and there with more grassy portions, when a 

 small but more or less permanent spring gave vegetation a chance, but 

 for the most part continuing stony to the top, the size of the boulders 

 increasing as we pi'oceed, with occasionally rocky outcrops, and, 

 towards the top, really large rocky Iwulders of many tons. Amongst 

 these rocks and stones there is really a very considerable, and even 

 varied, vegetation, but it is scattered and localised, and of small incon- 

 spicuous plants, so that one easily assumes that, except for the 

 conspicuous broom, the ground is absolutely barren. After proceed- 

 ing some way we reach the first scattered plants of (itnista futri/ans 

 and Genhta horrida, both very handsome plants. In spite of their 

 unattractive names they produce a grand eti'ect en masse, and nothing 

 can be more beautiful than a well-grown plant of either in full bloom. 

 Genista harrida would no doubt be entitled to its name if you 

 were comparing it with Ule.v eiiropaeia^, as a thing to take a header into. 

 At about 5000 feet these brooms become more abundant, and at 5500 

 to 6000 feet grow in dense masses. The G . /uirn'da does not go much 

 higher, but the G. jiKn/ans extends well up to 7000 feet. It is about 

 here (5500 feet to 6000 feet) that V'.i-eJiia sttft/ne var. hejarensis occurs, 

 quite freely in places, and at one (comparatively) small spot only 

 Heteroi/i/na parado.ra var. randelariae has its headquarters. 



Except amongst these tAvo species the net is not of much use to 

 the lepidopterist till the summit is reached, after passing or crossing 

 various snow patches. The top of this portion of the Sierra consists 

 of various flat stretches of stony ground, with a bit of grass here and 

 there and some mossy growth, and little else. When soaked by the 

 melting snow the fine material betAveen the stones makes the surface 

 very soft, and, stony as it is, one sinks in almost as in a peat bog. 

 When dry it is more like a fairly macadamised road, with larger stones 

 lying about, and makes excellent walking. It Avas at the highest part 

 of this, Avhere some rocks and boulders protruded from the general 

 level, that I met with a very black and glossy Asarta, which appears 

 to be new, and Avhich Sir (Jcorge Hampson has christened nujrella. 

 The first time I ascended the Sierra it Avas flying almost freely. I 

 saw a score or more, but the Avind Avas Aery trying, and the insects 

 most active and almost inopossible to follow on the Aving, so that I 



