222 THE entomologist's record. 



a row of very distinct blue spots parallel to the hind margins of the 

 hind-wings; the female very bright and resembling C. phlaeas in 

 colour. It is regularly double-brooded in southern France. C. 

 phlaeas. — Also just appearing. The females very large and brightly 

 coloured. Poh/oiiimatus baton. — Abundant, generally distributed, and 

 showing marked sexual dimorphism. The females are somewhat 

 variable, some being much more plentifully besprinkled with blue 

 scales than others. Frey says that this species is found up to 7,000 

 feet in Switzerland (in tlie Albula Pass). P. astrarclie. — Just coming 

 out. The females large, and both sexes brightly marked with mar- 

 ginal orange spots. Frey says that " the early brood of Hwiss speci- 

 mens bears, on the upper side, traces only of the reddish-yellow or 

 peacock eyes, which appear larger and more distinctly on all four 

 wings in the summer brood," and he further emphasises this state- 

 ment by saying that "in the Alps of Wallis, Berne and the Grisons, 

 common, in the form of the spring brood, with gradual disappearance 

 of all red spots on the upper sides of the males, whilst the females 

 still preserve distinct peacock-eyes. The brood is in this case single." 

 In Britain, there is but little difference in the orange spots, the 

 females of both broods having the spots much better marked than in 

 the males. In Piedmont, the Tyrol and Dauphine Alps, I have found 

 that the males of the second brood have the least trace of these spots, 

 sometimes entirely absent, and the brightly-marked spring specimens 

 from Digne bear out this conclusion. F. irarux.^^wni appearing. 

 Males only observed. A fair number of the specimens captured were 

 ab. icarhais. P. hi/las. — Just appearing; specimens on the 2.Sth and 

 29th of April. L. Ixdlaiym. — Two or three males only seen ; evidently 

 newly emerged. No females were observed. Frey notices that Alpine 

 females are nearly always uniformly brown, or only very slightly 

 sufi'used with very pale blue. Cijaniris aniinlus. — A few specimens, 

 mostly torn, about the Prnnioi blossoms. Frey says that the vertical 

 distribution of this species is not great, and that is my experience. 

 Xoiinadc-'i vijllarus. — Abundant ; a beautiful insect with skyblue bases 

 to the undersides of all four wings. Frey says that the Swiss speci- 

 mens are "variable in size, shape of wings, ocellated spots and 

 metallic l)luish-grecn basal powderings. The latter are greener in 

 specimens from Wallis, whose underside is thereby brightened up when 

 compared with southern specimens." The variability in size is very 

 great at Digne, and there is some difference in the brilliance of the 

 metallic powderings, which, however, are blue rather than green. 

 The males are given to wandering, flying about bushes, and being 

 more conspicuous, appear commoner, but the females are not uncom- 

 mon on the borders of the meadoAvs. The doctor was most insistent 

 that the females were scarce, according to Kane, probably because 

 he found a very fair number of this sex. .V. vuianops. — This purely 

 southern species was abundant, perhaps the most abundant blue. It 

 was very generally distributed. N. sebrm. — Just emerging on April 

 29th, as also was Cujiido inininia, a specimen or two of each species 

 only being taken. 



LEMONnD.E. — Noneobim lucina. — Generally distributed, and in one 

 wood not uncommon. The insect had evidently been on the wing 

 some days. The specimens are bright and very strongly marked. 

 Frey gives " sorrel," as well as Primula, for the food-plant. We got 

 specimens where the cowslip was abundant. 



