THE ORTHOPTERA IN THE CANARY ISLANDS. 175 



being seen till August 4th. The males fly with a crowd of other 

 blues both near the entrance to the gorge and on the Dourbes road 

 near the river, being difficult to distinguish, while on the wing in 

 the brilliant light, from the commoner 1\ roridan and P. doiiion. 

 Among theother " blues " on the mud we found two Hirgiitina adnietiis 

 var. rippertii $ s. P. Iiylas was frequent on the right bank of the 

 Eaux Chaudes, on the 29th, and P. escheri on the 30th. Other 

 captures included three beautiful Liuienitis cauiilla (two of which were 

 in cojt.), a fine J'l/rameis cardiii on the road near the Baths on the 28th. 

 (the only one seen), a few Laireia alcijihion var. f/ordias in the gorge 

 on the 25th; one or two fresh Melanarifia galatea var. procida on the 

 Blst, on which date most specimens weie passe, a few Loweia dorilis and 

 the first two PJrebia neuridas on August 2nd ; a single BitJn/s 

 ijiierciis on trees near the Baths on the same date ; together with one 

 worn Apatiira ilia $ and two ragged Pyranieis atalanta. Papilio 

 alexanor was frequent on the 26th (but the worse for wear, and 

 often with mutilated tails), flying along the precipitous sidfs of the 

 gorge ; while F. podalirins was much more common, and flew very 

 strongly when the wind was high, ducking and dodging the net very 

 cleverly. I'arnassitts apollo was only in fair condition on the 25th, 

 but with some of the spots inclining to yellow. Larvfe of Papilio 

 ale.vanor were taken on August 4th, by M. Jouft'ret, an entomologist 

 residing at Digne ; these were mostly small, but a few were more 

 than half fed ; he also showed us Polyowmattis vielea<ier J s taken 

 near the Baths on July 31st. Lepfosia sinapis, Kpinejihele lyraon and 

 j\Ielitaea didyiiia were frequent on the river bed at the entrance to the 

 gorge. 



The heat at Digne in August is light and dry, and is tempered 

 by a strong wind, which springs up each morning about eleven, and 

 blows against one all the way back from the Baths. Following the 

 advice given by Mr. Rowland-Brown (see antea, vol. xii, p 57, etc.), we 

 got out as early as possible each morning ; the hot trudge under the rocks 

 is not so tiring at 5 a.m. as it becomes later on in the day. We col- 

 lected till midday, returning to the hotel for lunch and siesta ; it 

 became possible to commence setting about 5 p.m., when all Difne 

 takes its constitutional under the trees in the Boulevard Gassendi, and 

 the hum of voices gradually increases to a confused hubbub of 

 laughter and chatter. 



From July 24th to August 4th, with the exception of one rather 

 dull and rainy morning, the sky was cloudless, and the sun brilliant. 

 In this I believe we were peculiarly fortunate, reports from other 

 districts being most unfavourable. I do not believe, however, that 

 insects were nearly so numerous as usual, especially in the Petit 

 Vallon, the cold wet spring having worked as much havoc among 

 them as it did among the fruit. 



The Orthoptera in the Canary Islands. 



By MALCOLM BUEK, D.Sc, M.A., F.E.S., F.L.S., F.Z.S. 



{Coiitiiiiied from page 95). 



We took up our headquarters at Tacoronte, a rather picturesque, 



scattered village, on the edge of the plateau, where the load begins to 



drop to the western coast of the island and valley of Orotava. We 



