270 the entomologist's record. 



well as Plebeius optilete, never before taken by me at a lower 

 elevation tban 5000ft. -5500ft., whilst Aricia eumedon occurred 

 with A. astrarche. A purely British collector would have been 

 delighted here, for Emmelesia blandiata was in countless thousands, 

 laying its eggs on the young plants of eyebright, as yet scarce- 

 ly breaking into blossom ; leaves, upperside generally, and stems 

 were chosen, the females fluttering gently, and standing on the 

 plant as if on tiptoe, then, leaning backward and feeling carefully with 

 the ovipositor before they chose the right place on which to deposit the 

 egg ; this was generally well hidden, or appeared to be so, although 

 a search to prove the point resulted in the easy find of some dozens 

 of ova in a very short time, but they were in great abundance. 

 Gnophos obfuscata, too, was frequent, the females feeding on the flowers 

 of knapweed and easily captured. This species appears always to lay an 

 upright egg. Among other species captured were Cyaniris (Nomiades) 

 semiargus, the females fine the males worn, Cyclopides palaemon, the 

 first time I had seen the species on flight and which reminded me 

 much of a small Melitaea parthenie, which species also occurred here 

 with a small form of M. dictynna. Melanippe tristata was also very 

 abundant as was Larentia caesiata throughout the district, whilst 

 Nemotois scabiosellus sunned itself on the scabious flowers, its long 

 antenna? moving incessantly up and down. The sun left the 

 valley about 4.45 p.m. 



The next morning broke none too promising. Heavy clouds 

 scudded above the valley, and collected round the peaks, and pre- 

 saged rain. However, a start was made in the same direction as 

 on the preceding afternoon, but heavy showers made repeated halts 

 necessary, and collecting was done during gleams of sunshine that do 

 not produce the best entomological results and leave large tracts of 

 country unexplored when one jogs ahead in the sunless or rainy 

 intervals. Still enough was seen to confirm our previous ideas of 

 the district and about twenty minutes' continuous sunshine on the 

 slopes, just before reaching Andermatt, was productive of several 

 interesting species, among others Lycaena avion of a distinctly pro- 

 nounced central European and not particularly alpine form, Erebiapharte 

 fairly abundant, a species not seen for some years, Cupido minima singly 

 and going over, and a race of Melanippe montanata that reminded one 

 somewhat in its bands and brownish tints of some of the specimens 

 from the Shetlands, whilst a few Colias phicomone came down the 

 slopes to the road. Among other things captured were Erebia 

 melampus, abundant just before reaching the Teufels-Briicke, whilst 

 also, by this time, we had taken Syricthus alveus, Adopaea lineola, etc., 

 and Larentia caesiata, Melanippe galiata, and many other Geometrids 

 had been boxed from the rocks. The flats between Andermatt and 

 Hospenthal looked promising, but the sky clouded completely over, 

 and, near Hospenthal, shelter had to be sought from a very heavy 

 storm. Walking back to Andermatt, one found the entrance to the 

 Schollenen defile enveloped in dense cloud and it was raining hard all 

 down the valley to Goeschenen. I was much struck with the fact that 

 at Andermatt and Hospenthal the species observed seemed distinctly 

 less alpine than at Goeschenen, the presence of Cupido minima, 

 Lycaena avion, lowland form, Polyo'mmatus icarus (at Hospenthal) being 

 something in the nature of a surprise, as also was a single Brenthis 



