78 THE entomologist's kecoed. 



theie of sparse grey scales. PrtJ«>v/<' ?;/ae?a soon put in an appearance, 

 and as I ascended, the valley narrowed yet more, and the mountain 

 sides are so rock}- and precipitous that one wonders how the fir trees 

 that clothe their sides keep their foothold and maintain their luxuriance. 

 But ere long, Gondo comes in sight and Switzerland is entered again, 

 the douune officers do not trouble this wandering enthusiast with only 

 a satchel on his back, and I was glad to enter the hotel, if such we 

 may call it, and do justice to a substantial tea, for it Avas nearly four 

 o'clock and I had had no food since six a.m., when I left the " Gletsch " 

 hotel for Brigue. I had intended lunching at Iselle, but the inn 

 looked so very uninviting^'' and the air and scene was so lovely that I 

 preferred to wait, and therefore turned to more etherial things. 

 Having " refreshed and paid and travelled on," Aricia astranJie soon 

 made itself evident, all with only a trace of marginal red spots on the 

 hindwing alone. Here a little Melitaea flies across the path and was 

 netted, it turned out to be M. partJienie var. varia, then the dark 

 velvety Erebia r/oante ventured within reach and was captured, as 

 w^ere others of the same species, these were soon followed by E. 

 li(jea var. adytc, and, with the exception of a single specimen of 

 that interesting black Tineid, Melasina liujubris, this completed 

 the afternoon's list of captures, the last of which was taken just by 

 the Gallery of Gondo, through which the road is cut by a long tunnel. 

 So ended my first walk through this romantic valley with its 

 waterfalls, and slaty rocks often overhanging the footpaths, giving 

 the narrow^ defile wild and entrancing scenes. After a comfortable 

 and well-earned night's rest, the next day was spent in the Laquinthal 

 looking for Erebia christi, but alas, the first day without success, for 

 the day was dull at first, though it brightened up later on, and, there- 

 fore, in spite of the thundery look, I urged my way on. Anthrucera 

 2mrpuralis var. nubiiiena was the commonest Anthrocera m the valley, 

 though I also took A. fiUpendulae and a single A. transal/iina. 

 Breutltis amathuaia then crossed my path and found her wa}' into one 

 of my boxes, and shortly after a male followed her example. The 

 only Erebia that put in an appearance was E. li(jea var. adi/te, and it 

 was common, as it was nearly everywhere. But ominous rumblings 

 of thunder made me wonder whether it was wise to continue. Once 

 started, however, an Englishman does not turn back easily, and so I 

 went on, taking a fine 5 P. maera and a \eiy dark Lijcaena arion. 

 Then Coenonumpha arcania var. darwiniana in both sexes was captured, 

 shortly followed by a quite pale form of the female. At this a brilliant 

 flash and a mighty roar of thunder stopped the excelsior pathway for 

 a moment, and then the heavens opened, and collecting seemed ended 

 for the day. The shelter of a vast overhanging rock was a welcome 

 haven until the fury of the storm was over, when for a while it 

 brightened, and later, terminated in sunshine. As I stood enraptured 

 at the clouds with all their strange forms along the mountain sides, 

 my eyes bent earthwards, and I saw Ciij)ido vnnimuH creeping up a 

 grass stem. Then E. lifiea var. adijte after adi/te did likewise, and 

 opened theii* wings to the welcome rays; but alas, too soon, for the 

 clouds soon filled the valley again, and the thunder echoed and 



* The "Hotel du Tunnel" really is (or was a short time ago) a very good 

 place for a meal, and quite possible for a sojourn. — G.W. 



