234 THE entomologist's record. 



think that, in sj^ite of the neiiration being so different, the osmaterium 

 of the larva is a better guide, and shows that it has closer affinities to 

 the Swallow-tails than one would otherwise be inclined to suppose. 

 Leticophasia shidpis threads its way slowly through bush and grass and 

 occasionally settles as lazily as it flies, in spite of the fact that some of 

 our English collectors think that this species has solved the problem of 

 perpetual motion. In yonder lucerne fields Aporia crakegi disports 

 itself, the almost diaphanous females reminding one of P. apoUo and 

 giving one the notion that the most perfect specimens are but in poor 

 condition. With it are Pieris brassicae and P. rapae, but P. napi 

 does not put in an appearance, although we met with it later on at 

 Aix-les-Bains. Pieris dajiJidice flits easily along, but a regular "artful 

 dodger " it is. It flies slowly, and you cannot help distinguishing it at 

 once on the wing, notwithstanding all that has been said to the con- 

 trary. But for all its slow flight you often miss it ; it dodges just as 

 you strike, changes its mind perhaps when the shadow of the net falls 

 on it ; at any rate you miss about as many as you catch. Gonopteryx 

 rhamni is just coming out, but no G. deopatra are seen. The " Yellows " 

 are in fine condition and in the humour to hunt a fellow on the hill- 

 side. You may talk about hunting butterflies but I have quite made 

 up my mind that these Clouded Yellows hunt me. One took me a 

 pretty dance, I nearly broke my neck — and got a peep at him ; had 

 after him again — and got a telescopic view at about six yards ; then he 

 beamed on me as he turned suddenly and jDassed within an inch of my 

 nose, just as I was calculating whether I was to sink gracefully on my 

 back on the bank or roll with the loose stones I had incautiously stepped 

 on and thus end my existence ; then, when I recovered, I saw him hover- 

 ing over a flower at the ver}^ spot whence I had started ; but when I 

 got there he was just sailing away over the larch trees. I didn't give 

 them much chance of hunting me though, for we soon arranged matters 

 satisfactorily, and whilst C. edusa, C. liyale and C. phicomone flew 

 peacefully about the bank I lay in the shade and watched them. Ar- 

 gynnids were in thousands, A. aglaia and A. niohe in dozens ; and what 

 grand fellows some of the latter are ! what marvellous variations they 

 show in their silvery undersides — and in their upjiersides, too, for the 

 matter of that. A. adiptpe and an occasional A.paphia, together with a 

 much larger but closely- allied species, with a really grand underside of 

 green and red, were mingled with such lovely A. latona. Just out of 

 pupa, they waved their Avings airily, now on a flower, then on the rock 

 at one's feet. A. selene I saw once, I believe, but A. eiiphrosyne was not. 

 A half-dozen other species besides perhaps fell in our way here, but 

 their names are not on British lists, except perhaps A. dia, which some- 

 times is and ought not to be. All our British Melita?as occurred and 

 many others besides — M. cinxia on the hill-side, M. mtrinia high on the 

 mountains, probably long over in the lower regions, and M. athalia here 

 and there,with ]\l.partheme, M.mirelia and many other species. The larvse 

 of Vaneaaa urticae occurred high on the mountains, where nine-tenths 

 must starve before they come to maturity, and })lenty of images a})peared 

 as well. V. antiopa, fine strong-winged fellow, was only once seen here, 

 but others appeared in the Cogne Valley, where a pupa and evi- 

 dences of some hundreds of larvas in the shape of their cast skins were 

 found ujjon the willows. Vanessa io and Pyrameis aialanta were in 

 no great abundance, but P. cardui and its larvae were everywhere. 



