FOUR DAYS AT SAAS-FEE. 235 



insects were commoner. Anthrocera lonicerae and A. tianmlpina were 

 fairly frequent. Among the Lyc^nids, Plebeins ari/j/roipioinon was 

 really abundant in both sexes. Of P. anjns I did not see a single 

 specimen. Agriades coridon was common, evidently in the height of 

 its emergence. Of Fobjommatns icariis I took three specimens, two 

 males and a female, which last was strongly suffused with blue, and 

 with bright red marginal spots prominent on both wings. Of the 

 two males, one was bright lustrous true blue, and the other very 

 decidedly mauve in tone. Aricia a><trarche was rare at this date, and 

 Aricia enmedun turned up in a single specimen, which, however, I 

 should think had only emerged the same day. Hendes vin/ai(reae was 

 not common, but I took three beautifully fresh females of the var. 

 zerwattenais. Only one or two Chn/so])lianiis Iiippnt/iiie were seen. 

 Near the Saas glacier Brenthis pale>i was still on the wing and in good 

 condition, as was also Melitaea part/icnii' var. vaiia and M. dictynna. 

 Erebia melainpus was scarce and very small, but K. In/ea var, adyte 

 was not rare, being line and large. PJ. tyndarus was abundant every- 

 where. The only Pamasfiiits I saw or took was a single P. deliitshigh 

 up near the glacier among the saxifrage by the streams issuing from 

 it. One afternoon I had been hunting the green Alps b}' the glacier 

 for larvfe of A. exnlana and other things, I found generally that the 

 well-grown larvse of A. exulann that are going to hybernate come up 

 to the top of the clover heads and feed late m the afternoon. After 

 searching for an hour or two, and having found sufficient for my 

 needs, I returned homewards, i.e., hotelwards, and had just turned 

 round a sharp bend of the mountain in a goat track, when I suddenly 

 saw a marmot some hundred or more yards away sitting erect right in 

 front of me. It did not move, so I concluded it was asleep, and I 

 resolved to try and stalk it, even though I had my net flying. For- 

 tunately the wind was in my favour, so on I went, absolutely rigid, 

 step by step, until at about fifty yards it awoke, and became conscious 

 of something uncanny. I, of course, stopped, and became perfectly 

 immobile ; then, after looking about a bit, it remained still erect. I 

 again moved inch by inch rigidly forward, and succeeded in getting 

 another, perhaps, twenty paces, Avhen its confidence seemed shaken, 

 and it dropped on all fours. Still, however, as it did not go away, I 

 resumed my proceeding, and succeeded in getting within five yards of 

 it, so that I could see quite distinctly the movement of its e3'es, and I 

 was wondering what would be my next proceeding, when the appari- 

 tion so close was too much for its equilibrium, for suddenly it took a 

 dive into its hole and was " lost to sight — though to memory dear." 

 Never before, however, had a marmot given me such a chance of 

 observing it, and it was quite a delightful little episode whereby to 

 remember Saas Fee. 



My last day was spent in the Mattmark end of the Saas Valley 

 and by the lake itself, where in addition to the species mentioned I 

 was able to add several others to my list. PMrnint optiletc was not 

 uncommon nearer Saas Fee than the top end of the valley, and as I 

 approached the further end Aricia donzelii also put in an appearance 

 among the larches. Further on Latiorina orhitidns became fairly 

 common, and I caught a single specimen of (Jhryanpliannx. hippotlioe 

 var. c'i(ri/hia. Jjreiithia palea was flying commonly on the alp around 

 the lake, with a female that I had not met with before, in which the 



