LEPIDOPTERA AT PONT-DU-GARD A\D DIGNE. 198 



Lepldoptera at Pont-du-Gard and Digne Orith plat,-). 



By W. G. SHELDON. 



The morning of April 23rd broke grey and gloomy ; as I stood 

 dressing, a glance out of tbe window announced it was a day, of which, 

 alas, we get so many during the spring in this country of ours. The 

 grass on the lawn was white with hoar-frost, the east winds and frosts 

 had cut the roses back to the quick, until they showed brown and 

 scorched, as though recently passed through a tlame; my solitary fruit- 

 tree was shrouded in a wrapping to prevent utter barrenness during 

 the coming summer. Twenty-four hours later I descended from the 

 train at the little Languedoc town of Remoulins ; the low pitched, red 

 pantile roofs, the brilliant stucco walls, with green Venetian shutters 

 to the windows, and the olive-trees and vineyards, announced a change, 

 indeed, of scene and climate, apart from the glorious blue sky, the hot 

 sun, tempered, however, with a cooling breeze, the atmosphere heavy 

 with the perfume of innumerable flowers, whitethorn in full bloom, 

 and the vegetation generally as forward as we are accustomed to see at 

 the end of May in England. My destination, of course, was the low 

 range of hills that stretch from Remoulins to Pont-du-Gard, and my 

 especial quarry, the " Glory of Provence," EtwhlD'eeapht'iiuidefi, and the 

 not less brilliant Gom'}iti'ri/.c dfopatra. 



Pont-du-Gard is, indeed, a grand locality for K. euphenoidcH, the 

 males of which may be netted in numbers flying wildly along the 

 small lateral valleys, and I had no difficulty in obtaining in the course 

 of a couple of hours as many as I required. Females were, however, 

 as usual, very scarce, and only four were secured ; ova were not 

 uncommon on the yellow flowers of the foodplant, Biscutella iliih/nta. 

 I collected a number, and tried the larva? upon every English plant 

 allied to Biscutella I could find, but, although they nibbled Alliaria 

 officinalis a little, they did not survive long, and my attempt to rear 

 them ended in failure. I was rather disappointed with Goneptenjx 

 deopatra, which I expected to see in dozens ; about a dozen were seen 

 altogether, and not a cabinet specimen amongst them — probably the 

 species was nearly over. The commonest butterfly was undoubtedly 

 Callophri/s riibi, one or two of which were on nearly every bush. 

 Poh/ominatitH baton was not common ; probably it was over. I\ 

 astrarc/ie and C'npndo minima were in fine condition and numerous. 

 One Xomiades nielanops only was seen — a small male. I'vntia daplidice 

 and Anthocaris belia scudded along at the base of the hills in some 

 numbers ; they are difficult to distinguish in flight. KucJdo'e 

 cardamines and Leucophasia sinapia were both well out and common ; 

 Melitaca cinxia, a fine form, much more tawny than our own, was not 

 infrequent, and was in good order. I was much pleased to get the 

 yellow southern form, var. intertnedia, of Parar(je etjeria for the first 

 time, commonly in the glades, where also flew specimens of P. meaaera. 

 I spent two most enjoyable days at Pont-du-Gard ; the difficulty in 

 working the ground, however, somewhat reduced one's bag. I stayed 

 at Nimes, some 12 or 14 miles distant, nearer than which I do not 

 think there is a suitable hotel, the train service between Nlmes and 

 Remoulins is very poor, one cannot well get on the ground much 

 before 10.80 a.m., and it is necessary to leave by 2 p.m., unless one cares 

 to wait for the late evening train. 

 July 20th, 1908. 



