LEPIDOPTERA OF PROVENCE. 207 



well into the afternoon before we reached the Siagne and began to 

 renew acquaintance with its loveliness. Several (inneptenjx deopatra 

 were netted, but their condition was, even for hybernation, not then 

 prime, beautiful as the males looked on the wing, but the delicate 

 sulphur-coloured <? Kuc/ilor eiijtJienoidoi, with its brilliant orange-red 

 tip, was in lovely condition, and the $ s were busy ovipositing on the 

 JUscutdla didi/nia, and eggs were duly obtained. In the meadows 

 here, (Jhn/sop/ianus phlacas, Coennni/niplia pampJiilns, Xinoniadc^i taijea, 

 B7-enthis dio, and < 'alias ednsa were not uncommon, whilst several 

 Spilothi/nia althaeae, three Si/ric/itJnts alrcua, and single examples of 

 S. mo and S. nialrae were very welcome. Only two or three Pohj- 

 owmatiis iranis were seen, one or two Xdiniadcs ci/llants, and a single P. 

 aatrcurhe . In the usual shady corner that I'dranif fi/rria haunts there, 

 one found the Vcir. intcniifdia fairly plentiful at home, but Anthorark 

 belia flew less frequently than usual across the meadows, and Melitaea 

 cin.via was not seen at all. Two or three Poli/onnnatiis baton were all 

 that took the place of the swarms that were on the tall grass by the 

 riverside in the spring of 1898, and only one example of the brilliant 

 green southern form of Adacita statices was captured, where at least 

 a dozen were taken in April, 1898. Several Pobp/onia c-albiim 

 were seen and inspected, but all worn (all, however, were of a dark 

 tint on the underside). I was exceedingly pleased, however, to get 

 several specimens of Thais pohj.vena, although some of the specimens 

 were getting somewhat worn ; a single T. iiifdrsicaste was, however, 

 in first-class condition. In spite of the abundance of Pieris rapae 

 and P. brassicae, P. napi appeared to be scarce ; I captured all I 

 thought I saw, and there were less than half a dozen. Among the 

 moths, only Strenia dathrata, Eiiiatm'na atomaria, Venilia nmculata, 

 and l^inaijra petraria were common, and some good forms of 

 K. atouiaria J s were seen. Only two or three Adela australis 

 were observed about the heather blossom. It was on this 

 morning that we made one or two most interesting observations : — 

 (1) As we were going into Pegomas, by the side of the stream that 

 goes under the bridge, in the line of the main road to Auribeau, and not 

 20 yards from the road, at about 12.30 (noon), I snapped up with the 

 net a brightly-tinted specimen of SjiilosoDia fuWiinoKa that flew up 

 rapidly and hesitated directly over the bank by my side. Before this 

 was boxed a second one came up in the same way, followed by a third, 

 but, although the doctor at once suspected a $ , the second $ had 

 paired with her before he could drop on his knees to stop him reaching 

 her, and the third, startled, was oft" before I could net him. No 

 others put in an appearance after the 5 had paired, nor was another 

 seen, although the doctor found a cocoon with an unemerged pupa 

 under the stone coping of the bridge. The $ gave a huge batch of 

 eggs — above 500 — which Mr. Bacot has in hand. (2) Larvre of A;ilais 

 urticae were hung up under the bridge for pupation, some just changed. 

 One of the latter was at the moment being attacked by a Chalcid, 

 which had her ovipositor thrust into the newly-formed pupa, between 

 the 6th and 7th abdominal segments, and in which she had evidently 

 successfully laid her eggs, as the pupa was full of Chalcid larvje when 

 examined in early May. 



Next day, April 7th, we went to the Esterel, walking from Le Trayas 

 to one of the neighbouring summits called L'Ours. It was a beautifully 



