ANOTHER SEASON AMONG THK SWISS KtrTTERKIjIES. 198 



Another Season among the Swiss Butterflies. 



By GEORGE WHEELEK, M.A. 



The only entomological work Avhich I attempted to do in the early 

 part of the year 1904, consisted of an unsuccessful attempt to find 

 the larvte of Melitaea anrelia at Sion, on March '21st ; I was accom- 

 panied by Mr. Hloper, and we spent hours in searching a field where 

 the imago is generally common in May, but failed to find even one 

 specimen. Five weeks later, however, on April 25th, a much shorter 

 search was rewarded by a number of captures almost or quite full- 

 grown ; another search at Charpigny, on the 29th, for the larvae of M. 

 partlienie proving even more successful. Since, however, I am engaged 

 on a paper on the Melita?as of the " athalia " group, 1 will not now 

 say more than that the full-grown larvae and pup;e of each species 

 are quite distinguishable, especially the larvje. Neither larva nor pupa 

 of M. berualensis, which both Mr. Sloper and I have also bred, bear 

 more than the general Melitfeid resemblance to them or to M. athalia. 

 Two visits to the Pont de Pierre, between Glion and Les Avants, on 

 April 11th and 28th, produced nothing but the ordinary spring species, 

 with the exception that Pieris brassicae was conspicuous by its absence ; 

 and the same may be said of Aigle on the 12th (except for one ab. 

 immacnlata among the < 'allopliri/s nibi), of Sion on the 25th, and 

 Charpigny on the 29th, as far as butterflies are concerned ; but Af^lia 

 tan was remarkably common on the latter day, and, being in a couple 

 of open fields, was much less difficult to catch than usual. 



After this a long interval elapsed, during which I was unable to do 

 any hunting, and, though Mr. Sloper and Mr. Fison kept me well informed 

 of their doings, there is little to chronicle. The latter had a large take 

 of Chrysuphanus ainpliidainax at Caux, on May 30th, but, on trying the 

 same locality on the following day, I was unsuccessful, the day turning- 

 cold and wet ; on June 3rd, however, I took three in fair condition, 

 and all 2 s, though the day was dull. Erebia oeme and E. medusa 

 were also abundant, though only the J s of the former were to be 

 seen. On June 6th began a month's sojourn at Bex, and, on the 

 whole, I think I have never seen such a profusion of insects as I saw 

 during that month. They swarmed almost everywhere, but the banks 

 of the Gryonne, canalized though they are, produced greater numbers 

 and in greater variety than any other part of the neighbourhood. No 

 time was lost after arrival in trying for C. ainphidainas at Villars, 

 another of its localities, or rather between Villars and Chesiere in the 

 marshy spots off the road to the right, turning up by the saw-mill, and 

 I took J s in very fair condition on the 7th ; at the same time and 

 place Polyoiiniiatiis eumednn was very fresh, common and exceedingly 

 fine, and I took a fresh and fairly well marked $ P. bellanjus of the 

 ceronits form. Melitaea anrinia was also to the fore. On the 11th, I 

 made an expedition to Caux, expecting to meet Dr. Crowfoot and his 

 daughters, but, having missed the train at Territet, I failed to find 

 them, but took ('. aiiiphiiUniias in much better condition than 1 had 

 previously procured it. It appears that this species emerges in a 

 continuous brood, but whether it is the larval or the pupal stage that 

 varies in duration I have as yet no means of determining. ( . 

 hippothoe was very fresh, Pararye hiera a good deal worn, and my 

 single annual specimen of Carterocephalua palaeinon was also obtained 

 July 20th, 1905. 



