tflK rMOPALOCBRA found in the BASSES-ALPES (dIGNk) in APRIL. 223 



Papilionid^. — Papilio podaUrim. — Well out, and very generally 

 distributed. The specimens appear somewhat pale. P. wachaon. — 

 Also well out, but rarely seen, except when flying round the summits 

 of the lower mountains, to which we climbed. In these positions 

 they were abundant ; in some cases P. podalirius joined them in 

 their breezy gambols. I have often noticed the habit in P. machaon. 

 before, and Frey says that P. j)odalirins haunts mountain tops at " not 

 above 3,000 feet." The undersides of P. machaon, decidedly pale. 

 Parnassiufi apollo. One larva only on St'duw, more than one-third grown 

 already (April 20th), good progress for an insect that hybernates as an 

 egg. Thais nu'desicastf. — This species was well out by April 17th, on 

 which date at least 37 were captured by three collectors from Les Dourbes 

 — 25 by one, and 8 and 4 respectively by two others. We did not 

 attempt to work the favourite ground of these collectors, nor were we 

 particularly keen on this species, being more concerned to discover 

 the number of species that were out. One thing is quite certain, and 

 that is, that the species has been, and is now, persecuted to such an 

 extent that it is comparatively rare, and although the nature of the 

 ground will prevent its actual extermination, it must soon get 

 perilously near it. A conversation with the Coulets drew out the 

 facts that they posted the insects which they caught, unset, on the day 

 of capture, and that the species, which used to occur in the greatest 

 abundance, was now getting comparatively rare. We understood that 

 only one specimen of the ab. Itonoratii was captured last year, but 16 

 were taken during the previous season. We heard of no liouaratii 

 being captured during our visit. We picked up odd specimens of the 

 type over a considerable area of ground during our stay. When the 

 insect is no longer sufficiently abundant to pay these collectors to 

 come from Les Dourbes, a walk of six miles, it may recover again 

 for a brief period at least. 



PiERiD.E. — Aporia cmtaei/i. — Larvae on C'rataetjiis, from about half- 

 an-inch to full-grown and hung up for pupation ; certainly not very 

 abundant, although not rare. Pieris brassicae. — Just coming out. 

 P. rapae and P. napi. — Both well out and common. P. dapUdicc var. 

 bellidicc .—The spring brood was going over already ; most of the 

 specimens captured were worn, a few, however, in fine condition. 

 There seems to be considerable difierence between the specimens 

 captured and those I have taken of the second brood, in many locali- 

 ties. The distribution of this insect seems to suggest that, except 

 under exceptional conditions, this is purely a South European species. 

 Frey says that, "even in the latitude of Geneva, r/oyy^/^/ur becomes 

 scarce, and in the remainder of Switzerland occurs very rarely, or 

 only as an occasional solitary example." Antliocharis bclia. — Rare, or 

 not fully out. We saw very few examples, possibly not more than 

 half-a-dozen altogether. They were of the usual South European 

 form, possibly a little smaller than those Dr. Chapman obtained at 

 Cannes, and from which he already had pupa; of the second brood, 

 var. ausonia. Frey thinks that the var. siniplonia, which is widely 

 distributed in Switzerland (and also occurs in Piedmont and ? Tyrol) 

 in June and July, from 3,000-5,000 feet in Simplon, Wallis, Laquin- 

 thal, Visp, Rytielberg, Arollathal, is the old type which has resolved 

 itself into the forms of helia and ausonia. A. ta;ps var. bcllezina. — 

 This species, which has made Les Dourbes famous entomologically, 



