92 the entomologist's record. 



= ab. suhriannu, n. ab. This form is intermediate between the brownish- 

 grey type and the quite black form ab. salicis, Curt. The specimen is 

 a female, and caught in the Palatinate. (In the collection of Mr. Z. 

 Griebel, Speyer.) 



Swiss Butterflies in 1906. 



By DOUGLAS H. PEARSON. 



As a change from the Rhone Valley, we tried, in 1906, Goschenen, 

 Hospenthal, and the Furka, and, though results were disappointing, a 

 short note may be of some interest. June 24th found us at Goschenen, 

 where five days were spent, but insects were very scarce owing to a 

 persistent cold wind, which made the bright sun of no avail. A day 

 up the beautiful Goschenen Thai produced practically nothing, but,, 

 close to the village, and between it and Wassen, a nice series of Erebia 

 etygne was taken, both $ s and ? s showing considerable variation. 

 Lycaena avion was also fairly plentiful, mostly rather dark and tending 

 to var. obscura, but some light and with small spots, along with a few 

 Nomiades semiargus, Loweia dorilis, Chrysophanns hippotho'e, Leptidia 

 sinapis, Euchloe cardamines, Coenonympha arcania var. daririniana, and 

 two Brenthis selene. 



Between Goschenen and Wassen a few somewhat worn Neweobius 

 lucina were met with, and three or four Cyclopidea palaenwn — this 

 being the first time I had taken more than single specimens of this 

 species in Switzerland. 



A walk as far as Hospenthal produced nothing, and, on June 28tb, 

 we moved on there, with hopes of something good on the higher 

 ground, but were again doomed to disappointment. The weather was 

 dull, and a walk to the St. Gotbard Hospice added only one Polyommatm 

 pheretes and a few Erebia lappona to the bag. On June 30th we walked 

 up to the Furka, but not a single butterfly was taken, and we arrived 

 in a thick fog. A stay of three or four days showed that good sport 

 was to be had if the heavens had been kinder, as, whenever the sun 

 came out for half-an-hour, good things began to move. Here I made 

 my first acquaintance with the beautiful Melitaea cynthia, but only 

 managed to secure about half-a-dozen 3 s and three ? s. With them 

 were M. aurinia var. merope, but not quite so dark as those from 

 Eggishorn, and Erebia gorge, while an occasional (Eneis aello and 

 Pieris callidice were netted, and E. lappona was plentiful as usual. 

 Had the weather been better, no doubt this ground would have yielded 

 a rich harvest, but the lovely scenery and profusion of good alpine 

 flowers did much to compensate for the lack of insects. 



The walk to the Rhone Glacier Hotel, and over the Grimsel to Han- 

 deck, was again an absolute blank for insects, and after a night at Han- 

 deck we drove down to Meiringen. Here, for a change, we had a solid 

 downpour of rain for many hours, but, the next day, between storms, I 

 covered a good deal of ground, and, by dint of seaching the dripping 

 flower-heads and netting when the sun peeped, secured a good bag. In 

 the meadows the "Fritillaries" were well represented ; Argynnis adippe 

 and A. niobe were plentiful, and Brenthis dia was in good condition 

 and not uncommon. Melanargia yalatea was very common with FJnodia 

 hyperanthns and Epinephele jurtina, but no good aberrations were 

 noted. The only Erebia seen was E. ligea, a beautiful ? in fine con- 



