LEPIDOPTERA OF THE BASSES-ALPES DIGXE. 157 



ground that had kept me the previous day much more rapidly, I observed 

 little that I had not already seen. Certainly, the bag I had made the 

 preceding day had made no difference to the abundance of the 

 specimens, for it was quite evident that most of them were still 

 more abundant, Hipparchia statilinus, II. arethusa, Erebia neoridas, 

 and several others, evidently only just coming out, all the speci- 

 mens taken being males, whilst Coenonympha dorus, etc., were 

 going over. I saw two or three Hipparchia briseis this time, 

 one of which, a female of full yellow colour, ab. pirata, is parallel with 

 the female ab. uhagoni of H. prieuri, a form that I had never captured 

 before, nor were there any among the numbers I had seen the previous 

 week atClelles. The specimens taken here, too, were comparative giants 

 compared with those of Clelles. The abundance of Satyrus hermione 

 near the " baths " was phenomenal, and it was a real pleasure to see the 

 grand fellows flutter off the tree-trunks, circle round on the side 

 opposite from that where they were disturbed, and then back again to 

 the nearest tree to rest again. They were equally abundant in the 

 orchard, some distance further on, on the trunks of the apple-trees 

 there. Here, too, I saw the only Enodia dryas that crossed my way. 

 However, my objective was the gorge, and having arrived there, serious 

 work began. Climbing the rocks to the right I found an abundance 

 of //. statilinus, with a couple of females, and further on a specimen 

 or two of H. fidia. On the Eupatorium flowers there w r ere swarms of 

 Erebia neoridas $ s, Hipparchia arethusa g s, Callimorpha hera, Epine- 

 phele lycaon, Satyrus cordula, but very worn and mostly females, whilst 

 Loweia dorilis in excellent condition, Coenonympha dorus gener- 

 ally poor and worn, and especially the males, were somewhat less 

 abundant. The gorge itself is worth a word or two. At its termination 

 it is only the width of the stream, say five or six feet, with two or 

 three feet on either side heavily clothed with willow and alder, and 

 just behind again on the steep sides, bushes of oak, birch, etc. One 

 threads one's way on such dry patches as one can find, or otherwise 

 steps into the water where it is shallowest, and this for 200 or 300 

 yards is the only path. The feature of this piece, though, is the 

 Eupatorium, great tall plants in full bloom fringing either side and 

 occupying ;ill the available space beneath the taller bushes. Further 

 up, it widens out, and a steep stony bank rises to the left, and willows 

 of considerable size fill up the space to the right with masses of 

 Eupatorium and thistles in full blossom. Still further up it expands 

 yet more, until one reaches the source of the spring, a wonderful 

 little nature-spot, with large poplars and willows overhanging the banks, 

 whence the water rapidly runs. Beyond, the ground is more open and 

 less special in character, tending to produce a mountain fauna, where 

 /•.'/ ebia stygne and /','. tyndarus both maybe taken. This little gorge teems 

 with insect life. There were thousands of Erebia neoridas and Hipparchia 

 arethusa settled by the water edge and rising in clouds from under one's 

 feet. Beautiful indeed were the finely-coloured females of Loweia 

 dorilis, and almost as brilliant were the females of Polyommatus meleager, 

 the dark ground colour plentifully shot with blue. This is the first time 

 I have ever taken this form. At Pre St. Didier and other places, where 

 I have captured the species somewhat abundantly, the female has always 

 been of the dark form. The delicately, though brightly, tinted males 

 are also among the most attractive blues, but though a few fine ones were 



