50 THE entomologist's record. 



vigorous kind, and butterflies and moths abound. A few yards behind 

 us the road from Mendel sweeps over a bridge and then turns rapidly 

 south to Fondo. The bridge crosses a steep watercourse that 

 contains now only a little restless, bustling stream ; to its bed 

 steep grassy banks run down from a point just to the right of where 

 we are standing as we look down the valley. 



Let us step back to the road and see what insects are to be found 

 in this charming spot. A stony embankment, covered with thistles, 

 leads from the road to a level grassy piece of ground on the borders of 

 the larches. On the thistles Argynnis p^jjAm abounds. They fan 

 their wings in the sun, and the males show us the thickly-set black 

 androconia that are packed along the nervures ; they close their wings, 

 and we see the silver bars running through a ground colour formed of 

 the most exquisite purple reflections ; the var. valesina occurs occasion- 

 ally, but is not coiimion. Two smaller allies are soon detected, A. aghda 

 and A. ndippe, the former with abundant silver spotting, the latter with 

 a rich fulvous band crossing the hind wings on the underside. And 

 hereon hangs a tale. Some five years ago I was in Canterbury, and 

 called on the late G. Parry, the collector there — of niobc fame. He 

 showed me his insects, and told me he had an A. niohe to dispose of. I 

 asked to see it, and was much astonished to find that it was an 

 example of this striking variety of A. adippe. I was assured, 

 however, that this band was the characteristic mark of A. niohe. I 

 then pointed out that it was only a form of A. adippe which I myself 

 had once met with alive in the woods of Chattenden, and at last I took 

 Parry's specimen away with me. Since then, the form has become quite 

 familiar to me on the Continent. Another species of Argynnis — 

 amathusia—Vi\'s,o occurs, but it is worn and evidently over, the rich 

 purple under-side having lost much of its pristine beauty. Lymena 

 cor y don is on almost every flower — the only really common Blue in 

 this district. MeJanargia gaJatea, rather dark in colour, as it appears 

 to me, abounds, whilst Ejii'uepheh- ianira and E. Jycaon (its 

 twin-spotted sister) also fight for a place. Burnets boom from flower to 

 flower — Zygaena achilleae, Z. lonicerae, Z, medicaginis, Z. carniolica, 

 Z. scahiosae and Z. transaJjiina are among those that are observed, 

 the latter being by far the most abundant species, and in the finest 

 condition. 



From the slopes opposite, crossing the road with rapid flight, and 

 then settling on a flower below, comes Colias hyale, and soon we 

 observe C. edusa flying more leisurely along. How these insects always 

 charm me ! 'Tis said that " Familiarity breeds contempt " ; I have seen 

 hundreds, nay thousands, of specimens of both species in Britain, 

 have become familiar with them, but the contempt is a thing that has 

 yet to show itself. As we pass through the thistles we disturb some 

 specimens of a large species of Syrichthns and Lyvacna astrarclie. On 

 the level flat below Coenovympha satyrion abounds, the females very 

 large, the ocellated spots exceedingly well pronounced. A sharp, rapid 

 buzz, and I'dm/ihila comma stands on the flower at our feet ; it depresses 

 its lower wings strangely, whilst the upper are held more erect. We 

 soon discover that this species is very abundant. Their undersides, how- 

 ever, are remarkable, for the spots, ordinarily white in British examples, 

 are here yellow, very like those of P. sylvonus, although an occasional 

 specimen exhibits the white colours which our British examples have 



