LEPIDOPTERA NEAR GENEVA. 



143 



rus liiu'ola, and then, among other burnets, I saw the flight of an insect I 

 thought I recognised at once as Anthrocera fausta, which I had found at 

 Barcelonette, in August, 1900. It had here a similar habitat among the 

 bushes, flew in the same restless manner, and was as different as possible 

 from the lethargic A. carniolica, and I knew at once that I had got on the 

 track of Blachier's species, A. r/enevemu, or more correctly, ^.j»c/nir/a. 

 I worked away now on the slopes, and picked up first one and then 

 another, until I had pinned 8 or 10 moderate specimens and rejected 

 a score of worn ones. My active companion, who had, I doubt not, 

 found my slow movements a great bore, reappeared after a considerable 

 journey to another part of the summit, laden with spoils, and wanted 

 little persuasion to descend the slippery slopes, where he captured a 

 few more examples. I knew, however, this could not be its home, 

 that the warm slopes at the base would shelter this southern insect, and 

 so I found it was, and very disgusted was I to learn afterwards from Pro- 

 fessor Blachier that he had seen a dozen collectors, at one time, hunting 

 the species a week or so before on his own ground, the insects going, no 

 doubt, to the German dealers for sale. The descent of the Grande 

 Gorge w^as qiiite interesting, a nice series of Satj/rits alcyone (Jierminne of 

 many of the natives), an occasional giant Gnoplwa furvata, Erehia 

 sti/ipie at the top, swarms of Erebia aethiops all the way down, and an 

 abundance of Enodia dri/as at the foot. But the sun was going off 

 the ground, and Mclitaea rin.ria, yi. dia, and J/. partJie)iie, picked off 

 the plants with the fingers, awakened new hopes, for I had made up 

 my mind that if M. }>artJu')iie was to be got, I would have a series that 

 would bear comparison with any in Europe. So Ave hurried off to the 

 tram in order to be in Geneva at least in time for dinner, and I felt I 

 owed a deep debt of gratitude to Mr. Muschamp for having introduced 

 me to as interesting a locality as any round Geneva. 



The insects captured the last day or two Avere accumulating, and set- 

 ting commenced soon after daybreak on July 29th, Avhilst I had already 

 made a fixed resolution to finish. But by 10 a.ixi. the hot sun in a cloud- 

 less sky evaporated the resolution, and I started off, on my own account, 

 to the foot of the Grand Saleve. I did not intend to ascend the moun- 

 tain, but just to lounge at the foot among the tangle of wild thyme and 

 marjoram, on the skirts of the wood that creeps far up the lower 

 slopes. And what a day it was. Along the road, beyond Veyrier, 

 (Jolias hi/ale abounded in all the fields with C. ednsa ; Leptidia sinapis, 

 and Epinephele tithonns swarmed with Paranje inet/aera and E. janira 

 by the hedgesides ; Goneptenj.r rlia)itni flew lazily or sucked the nectar 

 indolently, whilst occasionally the large f ritillaries flew across the road, 

 evidently out of their regular habitat. Turning into the lane made 

 known to me by Mr. Muschamp, at least a dozen CalUmorpJia hcra 

 were seen at once flying wildly about, Paranje er/eyia of Central 

 European form was common but worn. But it was to the flower- banks 

 I was bound, and when I reached there I was not disappointed. 

 Melitaea didi/ma was the first species that I Avorked for, and a lovely 

 series of brightly-tinted, but small, specimens, resulted, the $ s of the 

 same light hue as those from Aix-les- Bains and other SaA'oy localities, 

 but altogether Avanting in the size of the brilliant specimens from the 

 South — Tragacete, Cuenca, &c. Melitaea parthenie Avas not very common, 

 not more than a score of specimens seen, Avhilst M. cin.ria and Brenthis 

 dia each only produced about a half of this number. Of the larger 



