154 the entomologist's record. 



spines that are not yellow are very distinctly pale, so that one might 

 call all the spines yellow, with the qualification that some are not 

 so bright. 



Larva of Brenthis euphrosyne, received from L. W. Newman, May 21st, 

 1901. — 16mm. long, and apparently in penultimate skin; this larva is 

 deep black, except a blotchy ashy, rather than white, lateral band. The 

 dorsal spines are yellow, delicate and transparent, for the lower (and 

 thicker) three-fifths of their length, the remainder black and dense. 

 The skin-hairs have slightly swollen bases that glisten in some lights, 

 giving the (erroneous) impression that the larva has white dots (like 

 Vanessa io). At the front border of most segments, on either side of 

 the dorsal line, and only visible in specially good light, is a faint 

 trace of a fine pale line, a representation of the double dorsal line (of 

 Dryas paphia, etc.). This larva agrees very well with the usual 

 description of the larva and with that by Buckler, and is identical 

 with the yellow-spined form from Hyeres. Buckler's description 

 gives the larva black spines until the last skin. This larva had the 

 yellow spines in the penultimate. The black Hyeres larvae have the 

 black spines in the last skin. 



Lepidoptera of the Basses-Alpes — Digne. 



By J. W. TUTT, F.E.S. 



On the afternoon of August 3rd, 1906, I arrived at Digne, the 

 capital of the Basses-Alpes, renewing an acquaintance of April, 1898. 

 I had already seen Digne under " spring " conditions, and I had an idea 

 that it was possible for the place to be warm under " summer " conditions. 

 The morning of August 4th was as brilliant and sunny as its pre- 

 decessors, and I may here say that although I saw a few cloudy days, 

 I did not, in 1906, experience a really wet one between mid-July and 

 early September. 



A Aval k in the direction of the "baths" soon brought me to the 

 Eaux-Chaudes stream, and when I came out on the broad parade just 

 before passing the second little bridge, I was at once reminded of the 

 musical peculiarities of Digne, for there, just as I had left them rather 

 more than eight years before, were various soldiers (? recruits), each 

 playing his own musical instrument, his own tune to his own time, 

 the rat-tat of the kettle-drum, and brazen-mouthed cornets and 

 trombones mastering all. It is as if Pandemonium were let loose ; 

 the noise and din are alike indescribable. Whether this is the band- 

 practising ground for recruits, whether the men are here for punish- 

 ment (which I much doubt, as there appears to be little or no attempt 

 at discipline) I do not know, but when 20 to 30 men are at this 

 kind of work the noise is something never to be forgotten. However, 

 it does not seem to interfere with the insects, for, as I walk over to 

 avail myself of the shade of the plane trees, a black butterfly rapidly 

 gets up and flies onwards, settling again a little further on. A wary 

 approach and I had soon, as I supposed, netted my first Hipparchia 

 statilinus. From the trees flew fine Satyrus hermione, not the alcyone 

 of Clelles, and directly after, fluttering pa mphil us -like, I netted my 

 first Coenonympha dor us, whilst Pontia daplidice kept up a steady 

 stream under the trees. Dropping over into the river-bed, I found a 

 variety of insects on the thistle-flowers at the side. Freshly-emerged 



