174 THE ENTOMOLOGIST'S RECORD. 



lovely series of Anthrocera fausta, which I had not seen alive since I 

 left Barcelonette, in August, 1899, except for a few examples of 

 A. genevensis, generally considered to be distinct, when I had stayed a 

 few days at Geneva, in 1905. Starting up the mountains at the back 

 of the hotel, I worked away till I reached the pine-woods, but, with 

 few exceptions, butterflies were scarce. There was certainly an abun- 

 dance of Melitaea didyma, of the form obtained at Bourg St. Maurice, 

 and which one doubts being of the second-brood, both from the size 

 and the colour of the females; Melitaea vhoebe, second-brood, was just 

 coming out. Erebia neoridas, too, was abundant, as also were Epine- 

 phele ianira, E. lycaon, and E. tithonus. Melanargia galatea was over, 

 the specimens dark and rather small ; Pontia daplidice, Colzas In/ale, 

 C. edusa and ab. helice were in fine condition, but neither really 

 common ; whilst Callimorpha hera, Urbicola comma, Agriades corydon, 

 Goenonympha pamphilus, and Polyommatu's damon were everywhere. 

 A well-marked race of Hesperia ulceus was also common, but Powellia 

 sao was practically over, as also was Dry as paphia. Polygonia 

 c-albuDi occurred now and again, and an occasional specimen of 

 Polyommatus m-eleager was also found. Worn examples of Heodes 

 virgaureae, Thymelicus acteon, and Adopaea thaumas suggested tbat these 

 species were over, but a single, large, freshly-emerged female of Loweia 

 dorilis, of bright coppery form, led one to suppose that this species might 

 be just coming out, although one could hardly explain a single good 

 male L. alciphron var. gordius similarly, whilst an odd worn example 

 of Polyammatus escheri suggested that the species also was over. 

 A few Rumicia phlaeas were of the dark southern form. I picked 

 up odd specimens of Lithosia complanula, Phibalapteryx vitalbata, 

 Acontia luctuosa, Fidonia conspicuata, Pseudoterpna pruinata, Acidalia 

 rusticata, A. ornata, A. emarginata, Anticlea berberata, Phytometra 

 aenea, whilst a short series of Naclia punctata, which I had hitherto 

 met with throughout the Val d'Aoste, was very acceptable. A single 

 Grambus alpinellus awakened hopes of a series, but no others came to 

 the net. Among the Ononis was an abundance of the Marasmarcha, 

 named by Chapman tuttodactyla. Its habits appear to be almost 

 identical with those of our British species, and it would have been 

 quite possible to have made a large bag among the rough prickly 

 yellow Ononis, which it here frequented. Disturbed at the same time 

 was a single Wheeleria xanthodactyla. The sun had shone some- 

 what intermittently most of the morning, and the arid, dry 

 country covered had led us to seek the clumps of flowering lavender 

 for insects, for the Basses-Alpes is a real "lavender" country, as 

 noted years ago by the early hunters in these districts. Here and 

 there a specimen of a fine large race of Anthrocera carniolica had been 

 met with, but most were worn, and the species was distinctly passS. 

 After passing a great tract of bushy broom, where Fidonia conspicuata 

 and Pseudoterpna cytisaria were the leading features, the pines were 

 struck, and one felt a sort of regret that one had not known enough 

 about the country to have pushed on here earlier, for the open edges 

 of the woods formed a wild-flower paradise, in which lavender still 

 was the leading feature. The larger fritillaries, and most of the 

 species seen on the way up, were somewhat common, but above all, 

 Anthrocera fausta, odd specimens of which had been occasionally 

 netted, was in abundance, flying in the sun-lined openings, where the 



