CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE FAUNA OF THK DAUPHINK ALPS. 229 



moimkiins are black. Of course, rock-resting species usually are, 

 but on the high Alpine pastures this idea is absurd. Yellow and 

 white and black are the prevalent colours, and yellow and white 

 usually predominate, and I believe moths which are yellow or white in 

 colour are more independent of the sunlight to make them active. To 

 see, as I have, on many occasions, hundreds of the golden LitJwsia 

 lutareUa, Cli'o;/ene lutearia, Acidalia jkin'olaria, the straw-coloured 

 CramhiVi culiiuilus, the white Lanntia verherata, and sheeny Sciaphila 

 an/L')itana flitting everywhere over the pastures on a warm dull morning, 

 at 6,000 up to 8,000ft. elevation, would very soon modify the opinions 

 of these people. True, Odeziaatrata ( chaenqjJii/llata j is also there, but 

 the specimens are just like those seen at the sea-level in Britain, the 

 mountain environment not having modified them at all. 



Fam. Geometrid^e. — Phaioilt'swa siiiarai/daria. — A wayside insect, 

 to be disturbed from the great clumps of Ahsijnthium growing along 

 the roadside, a very different habitat from that on the Essex coast. 

 The specimens were getting worn. Acidalia nihricata. — A few fine 

 specimens in a field just below Le Dauphin. A. coinjHiria and A. mutata. 

 — Single specimens only of each. This was remarkable for the latter 

 species. A. /'u-v^/frt^rt. —Two specimens disturbed from Parietaiia, in 

 the Combe de Malaval. Kather less strongly marked than Kent 

 specimens. A, humiliata. — Disturbed among the herbage on the 

 roadside, and also on the mountains at from 5,000 to 6,000ft. 

 Acidalia jiavcolaria. — In great abundance on all the mountains, flying 

 in the early morning almost everywhere. Larentiid.e. — Larentia 

 aqneata. — Males of a delicate greenish hue ; a few found resting on 

 the rocks. L. aptata. — A few disturbed in the rocky gullies. Larentia 

 irrbcrata. — Common in the highest parts of the mountains. ( 'idaria 

 t'ulrata. — One very large specimen, much paler than British examples, 

 disturbed from a bush in a gully at the back of the town. Fidoniid^. 

 —Ortlidlitlut bijiuuctata. — Rather dark in colour. Very abundant, 

 both on the banks by the road-sides and also on the lower slopes of 

 the mountains. O. limitata. — Very abundant on the borders of all 

 the pastures, among the tall weeds — Ccntaurea, Scabiosa, etc. Cleofienc 

 lutearia. — The abundant moth on the mountain sides. We saw them 

 sometimes in thousands, flying in the early morning. Strcnia 

 clathrata. — Not uncommon, and not differing from British specimens. 

 Odezia atrata. — Eather common, flying in the morning over the 

 pastures. Boarmiid.^. — Dasi/dia nbfusvata. — A single specimen only, 

 of a very fine dark form, captured whilst flying along the roadside, 

 having been disturbed whilst at rest on a rock. Pi/;/maena fmca. — 

 Only a few specimens observed. 



Zyg.enides.— /^////rt<'»rt luniccrac. — Two typical specimens of this 

 species were captured. X. acliilleae. — Mostly worn, one remarkable 

 specimen had the typical spotting on the left fore-wing, but the red 

 spots were united into a blotch on the right fore-wing. 



NOCTUO-HEPIALID STIRPS. — Noctuides.— A^oe««rt cuprea, 

 Ajinitis alpcfitris and Charaeas f/rawinis. — These species flew about on 

 the mountains, at about 6,000 to 7,000ft. elevation, in the fitful 

 gleams of sunshine. They were generally to be found in the openings 

 of the pine woods towards the foot of La Meije. Citria fulrac/a ab. 

 JJavcsccn-'i. — A specimen, drying its wings, was taken from the trunk of 

 a poplar tree in the village of Le Dauphin, 



