NOTES ON EGYPTIAN AND SYRIAN BUTTERFLIES. 67 



Coenonympha pamphilus. — Habitat. — Syria : Not uncommon at 

 Ain Zahalfca and other high localities in July. Variation : These 

 specimens, taken at Ain Zahalta, appeared to be ab. et var. thyrsides, 

 the $ s having, as a rule, three or four, and never less than two, dis- 

 tinct small eye-spots on the upperside of the posterior wings. In no 

 cases did the row of eye-spots on the underside of the posterior wings 

 contain less than four spots with silvery white centres. In the $ s 

 the underside ground colour was usually ochreous, the eye-spots 

 smaller, and often without distinguishable light centres. On the 

 upperside the spots tended to be indistinct. Spring specimens (worn), 

 taken at Ain Sofar (4800 feet) and Ain Zahalta, were indistinguishable 

 from British in appearance. Time of appearance, etc. — Ain Sofar, 

 May 30th, 1905 ; Ain Zahalta, July 9th-30th, 1904. 



Bithys quercus. — Cyprus : Mr. Marsden's collection contains large 

 specimens up to 42mm. in expanse, taken on Mount Troodos, in late 

 July. I have not seen this " hairstreak " in Syria or Egypt, and am sure 

 it is not to be found in the latter country where there are no oaks. 



Lampides boeticus. — Syria : I have no Syrian $? s. Males 

 appear typical — found near broom, middle to end of July, 



1904, Ain Zahalta — Lebanon. Beyrout, beginning of August 

 and early July, 1904. Jaffa, May 9th, 1905. According to Marsden, 

 common in Cyprus. Egypt. — -Variation. — a. Size: A small form 

 occurs here and there (and not uncommonly) in the summer and 

 autumn months. My smallest specimen of this form, a $■ , did not 

 exceed 19mm. in expanse. Two J s of this form, of 22mm. in 

 expanse, are darker than the type, with less blue suffusion, and, in 

 general, a duller aspect. This form was described as var. aestiva by 

 Zeller. It appears to me to be simply the result of underfeeding — 

 the final development of a half-starved larva, and would presumably 

 be more common in bad Nile years. I have noted it in May, 

 June, and November. In the J s of the Egyptian boeticus, the wing- 

 expanse at times reaches 36mm. The largest $ I possess expands 

 33mm. $■ The blue suffusion of the wings in the $ is, at times, very 

 bright and pronounced, extending over the whitish submarginal and 

 marginal bands of the posterior wings, which bands are, in the case of one 

 of my ? specimens, of an almost milky-blue colour. Desert specimens 

 of the 2 are dull. All $ s thus far taken at Maryut by me are suffused 

 with very bright blue, as are many from Alexandria and the Cairo 

 district. Foodplants. — Peas, beans, lentils (wild and uncultivated), and 

 various species of vetches. Time of appearance. — Almost as likely to 

 be found in one month as in another, though commoner in late spring 

 than at any other time. A few records may be given : — near Cairo: 

 January 1st, 1903, February 25th, 1903, March 8th, 1903, May 1st, 



1905, May 15th, 1906 (aestiva), November 23rd, 1903 (aestiva). ' Port 

 Said: mid-June, 1905. Alexandria: July, 1903, August and Septem- 

 ber, 1904. Man/iit district: February 21st, 1904. Khartoum: 

 February lst-5th, 1906. Habitat. — Most common in bean and clover 

 fields and gardens, but occurs on the Maryut Steppe, and in every 

 desert wadi which contains a certain amount of vegetation. Probably 

 the most abundant Egyptian butterfly. Localities. — Near Cairo and 

 Alexandria, throughout the Delta, upper Egypt (Botbschild), Port Said, 

 Sinai (Guyot), in Sudan — Khartoum (Graves), in desert wadis near 

 Cairo, Helwan, etc. 



