180 



THE ENTOMOLOGIST S EECORD. 



outside the discoidal area, similarly centred on the v;pper- and under- 

 side. Here too Aniynnis af/laia was frequent, and Erebia ligea then 

 became abundant ; but the sun disappeared and the butterflies became 

 rarer and less frequent, until at last we were driven to picking up 

 Anthrocera achilleae and A. transalpina from the flowers, these species 

 and A. carniolica and A. Jilipendulae having been with us almost since 

 our start. A moment's sun discovered Erebia pitho to us, the males 

 very dark, with scarcely any trace of fulvous about the ocellated spots 

 of the forewings, and with three well-marked, faintly ringed spots on 

 the hindwings. Lunch at the inn on the top of the Col occupied 

 some time, as it remained dull, but then the sun came out for a while, 

 and, in a meadow at the back of the inn, Erebia euryale was not rare, 

 but the (? s were worn, and a grand form of the 5 s, beautifully banded 

 with white and brown on the undersides of the hindwings, were few 

 and far between. L'tipido minima and Brenthis inn were also here, in 

 none too good condition, and then the sun went in again, and we 

 slowly walked back to Gex. Among other things Adscita </eryon, 

 Nemotois scabiosellus, and Adkinia bipunctidactyla were taken on the 

 scabious flowers. Dasydia obfnscata, GnophoH ijlaucinaria {?), and 

 Larentia vibicaria were disturbed from the rocks, whilst Fhithemonia 

 russula, Acidalia macilentaria, P.teudoterpna priiinata, Stenoptilia ptero- 

 dactyla (fuscus), Pyrausta ostrinalis, and Eupoecilia sp. ? were dis- 

 turbed from the herbage. A few Depressariid larvae in the heads of 

 the wild Umbellifers completed the bag. 



The second visit to Gex took us to different ground. On July 30th, 

 with Professor Blachier, his brother, and Mr. Muschamp, we took this 

 time, instead of going on through the village, and so to the road that leads 

 to the Faucille, a sharp turn to the left that led into a country road, at 

 the foot of the lowest Jura slopes, up which, after some minutes, we 

 slowly climbed as we entered a by-path and left the road behind. The 

 lower ground looked little better than pasture-land, but, higher up, the 

 slopes bore more resemblance to our Kentish downs, whilst higher 

 still the bushes formed into woods, the paths through, and openings 

 into, which were brilliant with the autumnal flowers of the district. 

 This was butterfly ground indeed, difficult to make progress through 

 because of the wealth of its fauna. The insect of the slope was 

 Melitaea part/ienie, and, as I meant business now that the chance 

 ofi'ered, I took my series from this locality. I dare not say how many 

 examples I netted, but when the final rejections had been made I set 

 about 100 first-class individuals that I had captured. I feel vaguely 

 indifl'erent on this group to specific distinction. I dare not say I do 

 not know M. parthenie ; as a matter of fact, when I tie my brother 

 collectors down to facts and descriptions, I find that I am even 

 clearer than they ; nor dare I say that I do not know M. atludia, since 

 we have been personally acquainted for the last 35 years, and I have 

 seen, possibly, a few thousands on the wing. Strangely enough I 

 know they are distinct species, their habits, habitat, and tout 

 ensemble proclaim them such. I know now that my autumnal Gresy- 

 sur-Aix athalia (so recorded) are parthenie, but, for the life of me, if 

 they were ofi'ered me individually, I guess I should name half wrongly. 

 We Britishers must work out this business somehow, even if we have 

 not the double-brooded parthenie in Britain, and have to insist that 

 Messrs. Wheeler, Muschamp, and Sloper, in spite of residential quali- 



