150 the entomologist's record. 



to get edgewise, as it were, to the sun, its head from the sun, and 

 throwing its narrow shadow well ahead. Many of the males appeared 

 to have the androconial patch at the base of the forewings especially 

 pale, reminding one in some faint measure of H. prieuri. The speci- 

 mens, on the whole, were small, and somewhat dark, especially the 

 males ; I had hitherto only seen a race as small as this in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Barcelonette. The road, sloping steeply on one side down 

 to the stream, was well-wooded, whilst a contiunation of the slope on 

 the other side formed a bank, whence many species appeared to come 

 into the open space formed by the road. Among these, Satyrus alcyone, 

 the males now rather worn, and S. circe were, perhaps, the most 

 conspicuous, and they kept S. briseis company on the horse-droppings 

 on the road, where, however, in the hot sun they were more readily 

 disturbed than one would have supposed, and often got away. 



Easy as S. circe looks to catch, it has a 'habit of escaping from the 

 net much more frequently than the collector likes, but I found no 

 trouble in netting a fair series by observing a habit that the species 

 adopted in a field just before the descent began. A ditch, about two 

 feet wide and two feet deep, dug across a field, apparently for drainage 

 purposes, although then quite dry, was observed to hide more than 

 once one of these fine creatures, so I walked slowly up the side of 

 it. Coming towards me I soon saw a fine large jet-black female, with 

 its white band, slowly flying along the bottom ; I watched to see if it 

 would pass me, but my shadow was enough, and it immediately flew 

 out and rapidly escaped. Continuing my walk I scooped up two very 

 fine specimens as they approached me, and I left the field. On my 

 return some four hours later, I was rewarded with three others in the 

 same way, and altogether, possibly, I netted some 20 or 30 examples 

 in this newly-dug-out ditch, unfortunately, most of them not 

 in perfect condition. Among the fruit- and other trees near the houses 

 themselves, Euvanessa antiopa, Eugonia polychloros, and Polygonia 

 c-album were not uncommon, whilst Papilio machaon, though common 

 at the overflows of the springs in the roads, was not seen elsewhere. 

 Satyrus cordula w 7 as also common on the wooded slopes, but the males 

 were worn and the females almost equally so, although a few of each 

 sex were good enough to set. Here, too, Colias eilusa, C. hyale, and 

 Gonepteryx rkamni were rather frequent, and Pier is daplidice, in the 

 pink of condition, sunning itself by the roadside, defying pursuit except 

 by waylaying it or when it pulled itself up quickly to settle on a flower 

 that attracted it. Epinephele lycaon was abundant, much more so than 

 E. ianira, whilst Erebia aethiops was scarce, and down by the side 

 of the stream E. neoridas was just emerging. Leptidia sina/iis, too, 

 was frequent, and, on a species of elder, in full flower, Epinephele 

 tithonus was in great numbers with Melanargia galathea and its ab. 

 leucomelas, with white underside, past its first freshness, however, with 

 occasional specimens of Nordmannia ilia's ab. cerri, and worn N. acaciae. 

 Small fritillaries were rare, but we captured Brenthis ilia, Melitaea a'n.ria, 

 M. didyma, M . />h<irl>, , and M. parthenie, the two first-named certainly of 

 the second brood. On the lavender flowers at the viaduct, the best place for 

 E. neoridas, Thymelicus acteonvi us in great abundance and in very fair con- 

 dition, but Adopaea lineola was going over, and only a few females found 

 their way to the setting-boards. Syrichthus alveus, a fine well-marked 

 form, affected the scabious flowers, and a few odd examples of Erynnis 



