'&^ AND *^^/^ 



JOURNAL or VARIATION. 



Vol. VIII. No. 11. November 15th, 1896. 



Contributions to the fauna of the Dauphin^ Alps. 



I. — The Rhopalocera of Le Lautaret — Ccenonympha satyrion 

 A var of C. iphis — Are Melampias pharte and M. 



MELAMPUS THE SAME SPECIES ? 



By J. W. TUTT , F.E.S. 



The Col du Lautaret crosses the ridge which separates the valley 

 of the Romanche from that of the Guisanne. At its highest point, 

 6,800ft. above the sea, is a Maison Hospitaliere, founded in the 11th 

 century, whilst near it is a Hospice, built in 1864, and now serving as 

 an inn. This was much enlarged last winter (1895-1896), and a 

 large clean dejimdancc built directly opposite the old building, the 

 former being remarkable for its satisfactory sanitary arrangements. 

 The Hospice may be looked upon as being situated upon the highest 

 point of an elevation in the middle of a huge basin, and, if the 

 Hospice be taken as a centre, a radius of some three or four miles 

 would strike the Roche du Grand Galibier (10,636ft.), on the east, 

 the Pic des Trois Eveches (10,137ft.), on the north, and the Pic de 

 Combeynot (10,378ft.), on the south. Between the first and last of 

 these peaks the road leads down to Briamjon, whilst in the opposite 

 direction (almost due west) the road leads to La Grave. Situated as 

 Le Lautaret is, above the tree limit, one is astounded at the marvellous 

 luxuriance of the flora of the pasturages here. The Alpine plants of the 

 higher pasturages, usually stunted and dwarfed, grow to an enormous 

 size, and one wades hip-high among giant Alpine lilies, hieracii, um- 

 belKfers, campanulas, etc. At this height, too, one can get quickly on 

 the skrees, and hence, not only can " Alpine" entomologising be begun 

 literally at the doors, but the purely Alpine species that haunt the 

 highest rocky slopes can be obtained without the expenditure of so 

 much energy as is necessary when one is staying at a much lower 

 level. My visits to the higher levels were, however, marred by the 

 clouds which, on both occasions that I attempted to explore the 

 highest rocky skrees, prevented the butterflies from taking wing, 

 although the open basin below was sunny enough. 



The following is a list of the Rhopalocera captured and observed 

 during the six days' collecting (July 30th-Aug. 5th) I had here. 

 •July 28th and 29th were too wet for entomologising to be practicable. 



HESPERIDES. Fam. : Hesperid^. Tribe : Hesperidi. — Spilo- 

 thrijHs altlicae. — A few specimens only occurred, and these rather small 



