198 



THE ENTOMOLOGIST S RECORD. 



Coleophora ornatipennella, which was not altogether common, whilst a 

 few Stenoptilia pterodactyla (fuscus) were also taken, and, on the level 

 just above, Plebeius argus with a few blue $ s was rather scarce, and 

 going over. Here and there, too, a Polygonia c-album was to be found, 

 whilst Dryas paphia in poor condition, and Argynnis niobe and A. aglaia 

 in first class order, were abundant. The spot where one leaves this 

 bushy path and strikes across the steep slope is the outpost of Pontia 

 daplidice and Limenitis Camilla. Here, by the stream, a specimen of 

 the latter was generally to be found, and several of the former were 

 always racing madly on the slopes at this corner, but beyond this one 

 was rarely seen, although rather farther on, where one crosses a little 

 stream, the solitary male Gonepteryx cleopatra seen in the district, was 

 observed. Along under the bare, steep, rounded, black, shaly rocks 

 that rise above the footpath for a mile or more, was nothing, and one 

 suspects that the pine-wood on the other side is much too well 

 grazed to be productive, although it was not explored, but, once 

 past the corner where dozens of little springs bubble from the 

 ground, and out on the steep limestone slopes, among the wild 

 gooseberry-bushes laden with ripe fruit, in the tall thistle-beds, 

 the common Argynnids — niobe and aglaia — and Vanessids — cardui 

 and atalanta — find a rich feast, and, at the end of the path across this 

 steep slope, sub-alpine conditions and a different fauna commenced to 

 prevail. Erebia neoridas was seen no more, and most of the other low- 

 land species failed. A fine spring of clearest water, surrounded by tall 

 heads of cat-mint, was most attractive. Here were the first examples seen 

 of Heodes virgaureae, with bright golden ? s, some, I am thankful to 

 say, not yet past their prime. Here, too, was an abundance of Adopaea 

 lineola, which also gave some good examples, though dozens certainly 

 were not fine, flying with Coenonympha iphis, a strange pairing observed 

 here being a $ A. lineola coupled with a 2 C. iphis. I tried to out- 

 manoeuvre them without separating them, but failed, but it looked as 

 if the hold obtained by the J of the $ clasps was of the flimsiest. 

 Plebeius argus, Agriades corydon, Poivellia sao, were captured on the 

 flowers with Klugia spini and Polyommatus eros, but Aricia astrarche, 

 as all through the district, was rare. On to the lovely waterfall the 

 country and fauna were quickly changing, Erebia goante appeared soon 

 in numbers, Parnassius apollo of large size swung lazily over the rocks, 

 and then Erebia tyndarus appeared, whilst, within a quarter of a mile, all 

 these species became abundant. A steep, damp slope, where the irrigating 

 streams overflowed, with tall thistles several feet high, was a marvellous 

 collecting ground. There were absolutely hundreds of Argynnis niobe, 

 both with and without the silver spots on the undersides, and Argynnis 

 aglaia was, if anything, more abundant, Erebia tyndarus equally so, 

 and E. goante hardly less. Oolias edusa and C. hyale still swung 

 along, mixed here, however, with C. phicomone, of which the yellow 

 males were more abundant than the white females. Coenonympha 

 iphis, rather larger spotted beneath than the Dauphiny race, was 

 abundant, and so was Pier is rapae and Urbicola comma ; Parnassius 

 apollo was quite frequent, and so was Hesperia alveus, and here, too, 

 was the outpost of Melanargia galatea, of which several rather poor 

 specimens were seen. Pararge maera, Coenonympha var. darwiniana, 

 Melitaea phoebe, Polyommatus escheri, Aglais urticae, Issoria lathonia, 

 Pyrameis atalanta, P. cardui, Gonepteryx rhamni made up the tale. 



