1S96.J JJJ 



monotony of which was relieved by the silvery bushes of Retama 

 sphcerocarpa, Bss.,with considerable patches of Phlomis and llarrubium. 



From Granada we made an expedition to " La Estrella " mine 

 where we were hospitably entertained by the lessee, M. Louis de Pels- 

 maeker, and by means of which we were enabled to explore the higher 

 parts of the Sierra Nevada, which we ascended to the height of 9000 

 feet. The path to the mine lay past the cemetery and across the lower 

 slopes of the dry barren hills above the right bank of the river Xenil 

 as far as the town of Huejar, soon after passing which we ascended 

 the mountains by a winding path up a narrow valley, the torrent from 

 which joined the Xenil on the left. The vegetation was here more 

 luxuriant, and a few species were noticed which were not seen below. 

 Although a considerable number of Coleoptera and some very local 

 plants were found in the mountains above the mine, we saw very little 

 in the way oi Lepidoptera, and no alpine butterflies were observed at all. 



The scarcity of butterflies in the higher regions so different from 

 what' one finds in_^the Alps and Pyrenees is very remarkable, but may 

 be partially attributed, as regards the number of specimens, to the 

 dryness of the air and the general scantiness of vegetation, and, as 

 regards species, to the fact that the butterfly fauna of Central Europe 

 is here on the limit of its distribution, and has received but few im- 

 migrants from Africa. The absence of alpine butterflies is confirmed 

 by a perusal of Eambur's " Catalogue systematique des Lepidopteres 

 de I'Andalousie," in which Parnassius Apollo, L., Polyommatus Qordius, 

 E., MelitcBa Parthenie, Bork., Argynnis Niohe, L., Erehia Tyndarus, E., 

 and Syricthiis carthami, Hb., are the only alpine butterflies recorded 

 for the whole of Andalusia, which is very mountainous with peaks in 

 the Sierra Nevada rising to over 11,000 feet. 



The most interesting biitterflies noticed in Spain were : — 



Thais rumina, L. — Several specimens of this species, more or less worn, were 

 noticed between Huejar and the house at La Estrella mine. It was also taken at 

 Eonda, where a full grown larva, one just hatched, and some ova were found upon a 

 plant of Aristolochia glauca, showing that the species must be on the wing for some 

 time. 



Pieris Daplidice, L., and Euchloe Bella, var. Ausonia, Hb. — -Both these species 

 were common at Granada and Ronda in dry open places. 



E. euphenoides, Stgr. — Not uncommon between Huejar and La Estrella mine at 

 an elevation of about 4000 feet. 



Zegris Eupheme, var. meridionalin, Ld. — Five specimens of this interesting 

 species, all more or less worn, were taken in tlie gorge to the south-east of Ronda 

 We were no doubt at least three weeks too late for it, as M. Ren^ Oberthiir had in- 



