80 THE entomologist's recokd. 



then struck up a bare stony valley on the right, at the end of which we 

 climbed up to the Refuge de I'Alp. On the slopes were numbers of 

 Polyommatns eroa of both sexes, and occasional Brenthis pales and 

 Colias phicomone. These were the most conspicuous butterflies with 

 Krehia ti/ndants all the way to the Refuge and on to the Col. The 

 slopes on the Monetier side were much richer in species and numbers, 

 and just before we got into the trees again there was a splendid corner 

 where lowland and highland butterflies seemed to meet. Anthoduiris 

 swiplonia occurred quite frequently on the way down, and two Kuchloe 

 canla mines at over 5,000ft. were somewhat of a surprise. Very 

 occasionally Latiorina orbitnlus gathered together in companies with 

 Poli/o))! mains eras at damp places on the path, but I never saw anything 

 like the assemblies so common in the Swiss Alps. Odd specimens of 

 Erebia (joante were taken, but it seemed to be rare everywhere. Near 

 Monetier, Plebeius artjns was abundant at rest on little shrubs by the 

 torrent. 



On August 4th we crossed the Col d'Eychauda to Vallouise and 

 Brian9on. A fine morning gave way by eleven to a dull, cool after- 

 noon, and in consequence we got no chance of investigating the 

 butterflies of the wild summit plateau and the superb valley on the 

 southern side. In the pine woods above Monetier Erebia ennjale 

 swarmed in thousands. Above the pines E. lappona occurred, but 

 had to be walked up. The Col was the barest and bleakest we crossed, 

 with long steep screes on either hand, where Erebia i/lacialis was 

 disturbed, only to seek shelter from the searching wind among the 

 stones out of our reach. I boxed one very fine ? almost unicolorous 

 black, with a faint apical spot. The valley down below near Vallouise 

 was very beautiful, and Avith sunshine would have given lots of 

 butterflies. Anthrocerids were abundant, A. carniuUca, A. pnrpnralis, 

 A. lonicerae, and A. filipendulae. We walked on to Argentiere and 

 thence by train reached Briangon. 



August 5th was a magnificent day. Leaving Brian^on late, we 

 walked across the Col d'lzouard to Chjiteau Queyras. For the first 

 seven miles to Cervieres we rose very slowly in a narrow valley with 

 stony slopes on the left and a mountain stream on the right. Close to 

 Brian^on we took the first Erebia neoridas, newly emerged <? s, 

 Hipparchia briseis and H. semele, flying together over the same ground, 

 and beautifully fresh Sati/nis actaea. The last we never saw again. 

 All along the road to Cervieres there were a great many butterflies. 

 Commonest were Melitaea didyina, Hirsntina daman, Aj/riades coridon, 

 Parnassins apollo, and Ejyiitephele li/caon. Urbicola comma was just 

 emerging, Aijviades meleaf/er, fine <? s, and Polyommatns escheri were 

 picked up as we hurried along, and close to Cervieres a single ? 

 Coenonympha donis. From Cervieres we began to climb, and for the 

 rest of the day, though the sky was cloudless, we saw hardly anything 

 for our nets. At the top were a few Erebia yorye and E. lappona, but 

 we were too late in the day, and Chateau Queyras, by the map, seemed 

 to require a tramp of several hours. But a short cut left the newly 

 engineered road a little way below the summit and two hours and a 

 half of hard walking landed us at 7.30 at the Hotel Puy Cot. 1 

 cannot too strongly urge the entomologist in Dauphine not to miss 

 this walk ; the fantastic limestone crags and pinnacles on the Queyras 

 side are alone worth the journey from England. 



