19iS [the entomologist's recorj>. 



aurelia, slightly larger on the average than Rhone valley specimens, 

 though a few are smaller, and all on the imderside have the dark 

 spots on the ante-marginal band of the hindwing which are otherwise 

 peculiar to M. dictynna. Seeing them together they are undoubtedly 

 all one species, and some of them, especially one 3 and one 2 , bear 

 out exactly the description of hritmiiartis according to Riihl, a 

 description made from a specimen identified by Assmann. My 

 specimens are also identical with those from Silesia, labelled 

 britnviartia in the Natural History Museum at Berne. With this 

 opportunity of careful examination I feel no doubt as to the specific 

 vnlue of hritdwattin : its nearest neighbour I should take to be il/. 

 ilictipma, though the average of ilictynna is considerably larger, and nO' 

 (h'riyvria that I have ever seen is nearly as light on the upper side ; 

 moreover, I took one specimen of the latter species at Reazzino, it was 

 rather smaller and lighter than the more northern specimens, but was 

 far from being as small or as light as the largest or darkest of the 

 formei' species, moreover, it was worn out, while hrituvmrth was in 

 excellent condition. I hope it may be within my poAver to find out 

 next spring what the first brood is like, and I should also much wish to 

 compare the earlier stages with those of the other Melitajas of this 

 group. The other captures of this day were the same as on previous 

 occasions but included a small but very brilliant specimen of Apatura 

 ilia var. eo^. A visit to Mendrisio (a most interesting old place, on 

 the following day produced a good catch of Even's an/iarles, type, about 

 five minutes' walk from the station, and also one rather worn specimen 

 of Lawpides telicanus (my first) about 100 yards further on. An early 

 start on the following morning enabled us to make a visit to Como and 

 up the lake to Cadenabbia in search of Coenonymp/ia oedipun : time 

 however, was short, and a few Melitaea atJial-ia, E-pinephele tithoniis and 

 l':.jiirtiva, with a single specimen of Enodia dryan were the only results. 

 The heat that day at Como was intense, making the contrast to the 

 glacial cold of the Oberalp Pass, where we arrived next day, in a biting 

 wind with no sun. all the more severe. There were but few butterflies 

 on the way up to the Lautersee on the following morning ; a few < 'alias 

 palanio, the $ s being white, and a few Brenthis palei;, being all that 

 were seen. In the afternoon a walk to the top of the Calniot resulted 

 in a few Erchia yorye. The HOth was much wai'mer, and on the Oberalp 

 in the morning I took, besides the above species, Colia!^ p/iiromone, 

 Erebia manto, PnlyiiiinnatHS phei'etes, Pleheius aryiis. NoiniadeH scmiaryns, 

 and two very fine examples of Brenthis pales ab. 2 napaea, and at the 

 northeast corner of the lake, and on the slopes above, Farnassins 

 delius was fairly common in the afternoon. These, with B. pales var. 

 isis, Erehia goantr, Paniassitis apollo, very large and dark, but worn out, 

 and Noiicopkila ]<lantayinis, in endless variety, were the only species I 

 saw on the Pass, though I took Pamphila connva on the way down on 

 August 1st, on Avhich day I also walked across the Urserenthal to 

 Hospenthal, and thence to Goschenen. The valley at this time of year 

 seems wonderfully destitute of butterflies, I do not think I saw one, 

 and even between Andermatt and Goschenen there was scarcely anything 

 flying. A journey down to Lucerne and Alpnach by lake, and thence 

 on the following day by the P>runig Pass and down the lakes of Brienz 

 and Thun, and so by Berne and Lausanne to Montreux, brought a 

 most interesting month's tour to an end. 



