SPRING LEPTDOPTKRA AT HYfeRES. 303 



Spring Lepidoptera at Hyeres in 1897. 



By (Rev.) C. J. BUCKMASTEK, M.A. 



I arrived at Hyeres on April 28th last, left May 10th ; stayed at 

 the Gr. Hotel, Costabelle, On May 7th, there was a strong mistral, 

 the other days were mostly fine — some of them very hot, with a 

 maximum shade temperature of 80*^ F. The season appeared to be a 

 decidedly forward one. I collected chiefly in the neighbourhood of 

 Costabelle, on the wooded hills and among the quarries, but paid two 

 visits (April 29th and May 8th) to Le Paradis, and one visit (May 

 5th), to the cork woods north of Hyeres. The following species were 

 captured : — 



HESPERIDES : Hesperid.e. — Spilothi/rus alceae: five (first on 

 May 1st) ; Quarries. S)jrichtltm sidae ; a pair in the Cork Wood 

 Valleys, May 5th. (The heat here was intense, and after enduring it 

 for about an hour, I had to regain the ridge for a breath of air). 

 S. .s-ao : pretty common throughout the district. 



PAPILIONIDES : Lyc.enid^. — Callophrijs rubi: A few at Le 

 Paradis, April 29th, but very worn. (No sign of Thestor hallus). 

 ChrysopJianuH alciphron var. fiordiua : a lovely violet male, at Costabelle, 

 May 7th. The day following, at Le Paradis, I took males with 

 scarcely any violet suffusion, as well as females. C. jihlaeax : a few 

 noticed towards the end of my stay. Lampidea telicanua : one very 

 battered specimen, at Le Paradis, May 8th. I can find no record of so 

 early an appearance of this species. Could it be a survivor from the 

 late autumn brood ? Poh/onviiatus baton : two worn specimens, both 

 males, at Le Paradis, April 29th. None seen there at my second 

 visit. P. astrarche ; a few. P. Icarus : a few of both sexes, indis- 

 tinguishable from my Swiss examples ; no ab. icarimis observed. 

 P. cori/doii : a few of both sexes. Ci/aniris arcjiolus : one worn 

 female only (May 8th). Nomladcs cyllarua : the commonest blue 

 throughout the district. My series consists of twenty males and two 

 females. Size l-l'3in.; tone of colour varies from that of P. ei^cheri 

 to that of P. icanis. Underside is usually pearly grey, but in several 

 specimens it is darker, approaching the brown of N. melanops. The 

 powdering of the wing-bases is decidedly greenish-blue, but I can 

 detect little or no trace of it on the fore-wings. The distinctive spots 

 on the underside of the fore- wing are by no means constant ; in some 

 specimens they scarcely increase in size towards inner margin, and are 

 inconspicuous. The row of small spots on the underside of the hind-wing 

 is, in some specimens, completely effaced (the same specimens 

 showing a corresponding tendency with regard to the spots of the 

 fore-wing). In one example these hind-wing spots are complete on 

 the one side, and wholly effaced on the other. N. melanops : four 

 specimens, in poor condition, in company with P. baton, at Le Paradis, 

 April 29th, not seen again. Cupido minima : one, at Le Paradis, 

 May 8th. 



Papilionid^. — Papilio podalirius and»mc/(fto» ; Neither very common, 

 and mostly in bad condition. I noticed their habit of flying round 

 hill-tops at Le Mont Paradis. Thais medesicaste : a few, in a hollow 

 in the Costabelle Woods, May lst-4th, in good condition. 



PiERiD^. — Aporia crataeyi: Several taken in the Cork Woods, May 

 8rd and 5th. P. brassicae and rapae : the first butterflies I noticed on 



