272 the entomologist's record. 



however, showed signs of wear ; all these species preferred the thyme 

 blossom by the roadside. Here, too, was Lycaena avion of most 

 pronouncedly darker form than at Andermatt, and already badly 

 worn, yet one exceptionally pallid example was taken in fine 

 condition, an almost albinistic aberration, whilst Gyaniris [Nomiades) 

 semiargus, abundant, was also quite over, the males off colour and 

 the females ragged. The dark purple colour of the males of 

 this species makes them practically unmistakable on the wing, 

 whilst the black females are easily overlooked among the zizgagging 

 Aricia astrarche, although the flight of the two species is considerably 

 different. A single worn Pararge hiera was captured, and, although not 

 "Seen elsewhere in this valley, Melitaea parthenie came readily to the 

 road to sun in the damp places, and a single freshly-emerged Erebia 

 aethiops also fell a victim owing to the same habit. Similarly, an 

 occasional Ennychia cingulata and E. octomaculalis found its way 

 into the net. The sides of the path were covered with nettles, on which 

 Aglais urticae larva? of all sizes and ages, from babies just born to full- 

 grown, were very abundant, whilst pupse hung from the stones, and 

 newly-emerged imagines were already on the wing. The only "white" 

 seen here was Pieris rapae, fine large examples, no brassirae nor napi, 

 although an occasional Aporia crataegi, not much the worse for wear, 

 now and again crossed our path. A willow-bush, with rather hard 

 leaves, was covered with larva? of Euvanessa antiopa, still black, with 

 bright orange spots, their course from babyhood being easily traceable 

 on the bush by the web and cast skins. They moulted on August 

 5th-6th, and, in spite of later unheard-of expedients, and amazing 

 difficulties, produced a fair percentage of imagines at home between 

 September 19th-30th. A heathery piece of ground disclosed Plebeius 

 aef/on on the flowers, and a rapid shot brought in a fine Brenthis ino as 

 it was flying past. Then the sun went in, and the rest of the walk to the 

 Damma-Gletscher was in shade, and, although Gnophids flew out, the 

 stiff climbing occupied most of my little energy, and few got into the 

 net. Almost the last halt made in the valley, before stepping out 

 into the broad flat piece of cultivated land leading up to the foot of 

 the glaciers, and to the Hotel, was to take a fine female Brenthis relate 

 sitting upright on the top of a knapweed flower. It is a fine country 

 this Goeschenen-Thal, with the Damma and Kehle glaciers on the one 

 side, coming down the steep sides of the Winterberg, and the Brunnen 

 glacier, and its attendant monsters, coming over the Fleckistock and 

 the Sustenhorn, the hotel on an eminence between the two, and within 

 easy walk of either. What cares one for insects when one stands on a 

 wooden bridge, 50ft. above a boiling torrent with the spray of the 

 Goschener-Reuss blown by the warm air into one's face ! What 

 matters it when one stands at the foot of a waterfall tumbling 

 sheer some 800 or 400 feet from the rocks above, or when one looks on 

 line after line of rounded, waterworn, gigantic rocks, and appears to 

 trace with ease the course of the river through the ages ! 'Twere 

 wrong to say that the sun did not shine for us at the Damma-Gletscher, 

 for the pinnacles of white snow and black rock stood out brilliantly in 

 necklets of cloud, now closing in and hiding them, now breaking and 

 showing the sun-tipped peaks in all their splendour. We were able to 

 do nothing to the entomology of the Goeschenen-Thal. It is left for 

 someone else, under better conditions of weather, to tell us what insect 



