58 THE entomologist's record. 



and the younger and more active of us made the lirst capture, which 

 proved to be a Paranjc wm^ra, unfortunately, with a wicked split in one 

 wing, which made it quite unfit for the cabinet. Going into the 

 woods, I netted a fine Carterocephalua ijalaemon, the only specimen seen 

 by us in Switzerland, and saw one or t\vo worn Ncineobiiis ha-ina. 

 Insect life, however, in the thick woods Avas scarce, but presently we 

 came to a portion that had been cut down the preceding winter, and 

 things improved considerably. Pararge maera was here in numbers ; 

 huge Ajioria rrataei/i came sailing by, easily recognisable by their flight 

 from the " cabbagers " seen at home. It was my first experience of J. 

 emt.ae;/( at large. Then, threading its way here and there, the tired- 

 looking, gentle flight of Lqitidia sinapis was unmistakable. These, 

 with numerous Argynnids, contemptuous of one's best efforts with the 

 net, sundry Melitaias, odd specimens of Paian/e et/eria, and the rays 

 of the almost vertical sun pouring down upon us, made things quite 

 warm enough. Getting tired of it after a while, we moved on until 

 we came to some small meadows of uncut grass, where there seemed 

 to be almost more butterflies than flowers. Mdanar(jia ijalatca in hun- 

 dreds, KiiiHt'iihelc jnrtina, of course, in swarms, Argynnids again in 

 dozens, and, thanks to the attractions of the flowers, more tractable ; 

 they proved to be Arfjijmii.s niohe ab. eris, A. (uilaia, and A. adippr. 

 Plenty of Brenthis euphrosi/ue, Pulyomiiiatua alciis, and a few CoUas 

 Iti/ale. The farmer's house was near by, and for a time we gingerly 

 skirted round the outside of the meadows, netting all we could from 

 the path, but presently I happened to spy a Papilio podalirins in the 

 middle of the field. This was too much for my patience, and I reck- 

 lessly plunged in amongst the good man's grass, while my son made 

 for a cloud of Melitaea part/icnie, which haunted a corner of the same 

 meadow. Our sport was soon put an end to by the owner, who very 

 ■promptly and properly expostulated with us on the wickedness of our 

 proceedings, and we had to travel. We soon came across another 

 meadow, but the owner was evidently no friend of the brethren of 

 the net, and a shrill whistle warned us what we might expect if we 

 had the temerity to work his grass. Lunch time was now approach- 

 ing ; we made for the hotel, and during the afternoon left for Martigny, 

 where we had arranged to stay three clays. 



Martigny is an ideal centre for collecting Khopalocera. It is a 

 small town with a few thousand inhabitants, situate in the Rhone 

 valley, at a point where the river turns in its course almost at right 

 angles. The valley itself is wonderfully rich in the lowland species, 

 many of which are found in great numbers, whilst the mountains 

 around, which are easy to work from the routes over the Great St. 

 Bernard and to Chamonix, contain most of the alpine species found 

 in Switzerland. The morning of June 27th opened bright and fine, 

 and after an early breakfast we walked under the cliffs as far as 

 the small village of Vernayez — about two miles — and back. That 

 walk I, at least, shall pack away in my memory, and it will not be 

 forgotten so long as I retain my faculties. There is a path leading 

 just under the clift's ; at first it passes over some rough ground, 

 then along meadows, with hedges of privet and w^ild rose ; presently 

 one comes to woods growing up the sides of the undercliti', whilst on 

 the right is a marshy tract of country strikingly like a Norfolk fen, 

 with its willows, its dykes, and reedbanks, and undergrowth, amongst 



