120 THE entomologist's record. 



cottages, followed it up into an overgrown olive garden, passing 

 on the way a piece of hillside bare and stony at the top, but planted 

 with vines and roses below, whilst between the rows of vines and roses, 

 small luxuriant patches of cultivated Jjtttis flourished, thinning out 

 into starved and ill-grown plants towards the top of the slope, whilst 

 quite on the top of the slope L. In'xiiitltis occurred as a weed. Here I 

 first found Tlifstor halliis, flying over the more barren parts, dashing 

 with the agility of Xisaiiiailcs tai/fs from one point to another, and 

 settling low down on the plants, and, when covered with the net, falling 

 to the ground, drawing in the legs, shamming death, or rapidly jerking 

 along on the ground with the wings drawn close together, and making 

 the process of boxing long and tedious, so that one soon learned that it 

 was better to sweep them into the net, than to cover them, and, on the 

 more luxuriant growth of cultivated Lotus, which they seemed to prefer 

 to their natural pabulum, this was not at all a difficult matter. 

 When one was startled, however, it went off for a few yards at a 

 great pace, and then, darting quickly backwards and forwards, showed 

 one only its underside, so that, against a green background, it was most 

 difficult to follow with the eye, and specimens were thus often lost 

 quite quickly. In this locality one got the idea that the insect was a 

 mixture of a skipper and of a rapidly-flying Lyciienid in its habits, and 

 worked for it accordingly. The female, on the other hand, exhibited none 

 of the rapid dodging movements of the male. As soon as it was disturbed 

 its bright coppery upperside made it conspicuous, and its heavier build 

 and generally more definite flight rendered it easy to follow, but it flew 

 up the slopes briskly enough and sometinaes wanted a lot of following 

 up hill before it could be taken. On the whole, in this sex, one thought 

 one had a sort of glorified Cliri/sop/iantis pldaeaa with which to deal, 

 but without so marked an ability to dodge about rapidly as has 

 the latter species, and, as a result, one missed few that one really 

 intended to capture. Down on the ground, however, tbe $ was even 

 more difficult to deal with than the <? , and the short spasmodic jerks 

 in which it continuously indulged, often allowed it to escape unexpect- 

 edly under the rim of the net and to get away before one could get 

 ready to fetch it down by a straight stroke ahead, as it connnenced, as 

 it almost always did, an ascent up the slopes. I did not observe a 

 single ? in the act of oviposition either on this or the following day, 

 although the weather appeared to be perfect. It may here be observed 

 that, when settling, the insect drops quickly, draws up its wings, 

 exposing only the green underside, there is at this time no flapping 

 of the wings nor showing of the upperside thereof. 



On March 30th, I went to Carqueiranne, walked up behind the 

 church and away up the road over the hills, a tramp so often described 

 by lepidopterists, in whom the fresh air of the ]\Iediterranean, 

 laden with the delicate aromas of the delightfully scented plants, has 

 breathed anew the breath of life, health and eagerness, and raised once 

 again the desire to live. Here, again, I met Thestor balhts, I will not 

 say abundantly, for this year, I understand, has been remarkable, inas- 

 much as an exceedingly early spring has been followed by an almost 

 continuous drought which is said to have delayed both vegetation and 

 the further appearance of the spring insects. Still I found the species in 

 considerable numbers, the $ flying by the side of the ro£idway, settling 

 on the bushes, and luring one mto the belief that they were only 



