A midsummer's collecting at la graxja. 63 



were all on the look out for it, and took M. aurinia there ; but on 

 June 29th (unfortunately after Jones had left) I went up the mountains 

 some oOOft. to 800ft., and, in a small morass, caused by a little stream 

 spreading and percolating through the peaty ground, I came across 

 my first specimens ; I got seven that day. After this I returned to 

 the swamps below, and found it was present in fair numbers, both 

 sexes. Of the Lycjenids Laeosopis roboris was our special objective. 

 Mrs. Lowe took the first, a male, and a worn female outside the walls 

 of the Royal Garden on July 3rd. The next day we got fourteen 

 specimens near the ash-trees by the farm under the hills some two 

 miles off, as described by Mr. Sheldon (FJnt. Record, xviii., p. 59). 

 After this, males were abundant, though females up to the time of 

 leaving were very scarce. L. roboris was particularly fond of a wiry- 

 stemmed plant with fluffy, clover-like heads of flowers, and an aromatic 

 scent, which covers the ground in large clumps. They were not often 

 seen round ash-trees, which were trees, but commonly about stunted 

 ash-bushes which appeared to have their young shoots constantly eaten 

 down by the herds of black cattle which roam the hill-sides and plain. 

 This ash is very unlike our familiar English species. It has a much 

 darker, narrower leaf, which feels thicker in texture between the 

 fingers. Around, and on, and within these bushes, I have frequently 

 seen half-a-dozen to a bush, apparently searching for mates. It is a 

 very easy insect to capture, though generally flying at a considerable 

 height if disturbed. I ruined several much-wanted females in a fruit- 

 less endeavour to get ova. The Ruralids of the list were numerous 

 among the oak shrub which clothes the foot of the hills, except 

 Nonbnannia acaciae, of which I only got two large examples. KliKjia 

 spini ab. li/nceiis was remarkably fine, and not rare. Flying with the 

 usual form were some very small Xonhnannia ilicis of the var. aescitli, 

 quite dwarfs (I have the same from Eclepens). It seems difficult to 

 believe that this is really N. ilicis. Hemles vin/attreae var. tneiijii made 

 its first appearance on July 1st, females on 14th. Of the latter I only 

 got four, but one is a beauty, though small ; a central band is formed 

 across the forewings by the elongation and coalescence of the usual 

 black spots, and the whole of the hindwings is suft'used with black 

 from the base to the marginal border. This species was like 

 An/i/nnis adippe and Drijas pajihia, evidently late this year, and not 

 fully out before we left. Rnniicia phlaeas was very common in one 

 locality, and fairly distributed elsewhere. It was a dark form, but not 

 extremely so. Probably the next brood would have proved more 

 interesting. Loweia gordias (Is this certainly only a variety of 

 alciphron .') was smaller and less heavily marked than the Martigny 

 and Varzo specimens, and the females were nearly always of a much 

 lighter colour than those of Switzerland, and never suffused on the 

 hindwings as in ab. interiiwdia, Stefanelli, from the Italian Simplon. 

 Both sexes were as a rule rather small, but not without exception. 

 Lawpides boeticiis fairly common, and gave evidence that it would be 

 much commoner — veiy variable in size — but none equal to the largest 

 taken in Guernsey. Plebeius aet/on was inferior to Guethary specimens 

 but very abundant. Aricia astrarche was magnificent in size and 

 colour. Of the " Skippers," the most interesting was Ponellia sao, 

 plentiful in its ordinary form, and there were less commonly gigantic 

 specimens very richly coloured on the underside. 1 watched a pair of 



