A SWISS ELDORADO IN 1913. 269 



Tomlin [Rnt. Mo. Ma;/., xliii., 28 (1907)] , though they do not men- 

 tion its host, and judging from the number of its larvfe observed in 

 many parts of the island, it would seem to be abundant. 



Fonnica fiisca var. fiisro-ntfibarhis, Forel. — This variety was 

 observed on the west coast only, it is probably the F. cunicularia 

 referred to by F. Smith. 



It is evident from the above notes that both the ants of this island 

 and also the other inhabitants of their nests would well repay further 

 study. 



"A Swiss Eldorado" in 1913. 



By EOSA E. PAGE, B.A. 



Mr. Muschamp has, in the preceding number, given one aspect of 

 his Eldorado ; I am now going, in response to his request, to show the 

 reverse side of the picture. I must, however, apologise to the reader 

 for a second doleful article in one year, ray excuse being that our late 

 esteemed and revered Editor always considered that the lean years 

 should be chronicled as well as the fat ones. 



On July 27th, five nets were at work on the Stafa marshes ; Coe- 

 nouijiiiiiha tip/nm was nearly over, but enough good speci aliens were 

 obtainable if worked ; their habits recalled to us the Spanish ( '. ijihioides, 

 C tiphnn, however, being much more conspicuous and easy to capture. 

 Ap/iaiitoptis lij/perantiis type, with many ab. caeca (these being especially 

 numerous this year) was still plentiful and fresh, one remarkable 

 specimen having the ground colour of the left hindwing underside 

 creamy m lieu of the usual coloration, whilst the left foreAving is 

 devoid of all spotting, and has some of the membrane of the apical 

 portion missing, an accident having evidently occurred during the 

 pupal period. A few nice $ s of Melitaea (licti/nna and Lijcaena alcon 

 completed our short list of insects taken, the year being an exception- 

 ally bad one here as everywhere else in Switzerland. In the afternoon 

 a thunderstorm broke and rain continued daring the rest of the day. 

 The following morning looking much too unpromising for collecting, 

 we visited Ziirich ; but, provokingly, out came the sun, of course too 

 late for any alteration of our plans. 



The 29th being fine, we walked, with Mr. Muschamp as our guide, 

 from Glarus through shady woods up to the Children's Summer 

 School, where a spring invites one to an alfresco lunch, M'ith which, 

 however, one must provide one's self, the school not possessing a super- 

 fluity, even of bread. Continuing through wood, we at last came out 

 some hundred feet above a little gem of a lake, surrounded by a suc- 

 cession of grand and rugged slopes, every tint and line of which it 

 reflected in its placid surface. This we skirted, taking the right hand 

 side, the road running between the precipitous slopes and the flowery 

 banks of the Klonthalersee to the Klonthal Hotel. The remarkable 

 dearth of insects the Avhole way up was, I fear, a bad omen, nothing 

 at all appearing but a few Fvebia stij/jne in very fair condition, flying 

 on the herbage at the base of the rocks beside the lake. 



The next day we continued our ascent through the Rossmatterthal 

 to the Club Hut, by the beautiful path described by Mr. Muschamp. 

 Just above the chalets of Werben a few PaDias.^ius apolln and P. deliiis 

 were taken, the latter flying wildly in a gully beside the stream, 



