December, 1902] 277 



taken on the top of a ridge. E. Bella, E. Belemia, E. Charlonia, L. 

 boetica, L. melanops, L. Abencerragus were all common, and Thestor 

 Ballus fairly swarmed ; it is probably the commonest Algerian butterfly 

 in February and March. 



This ended February, and we had taken no less than 30 species 

 or named vars. during the month. I append list : — 



1, P. Machaon, 2, P. brassicce, 3, P. rapce, 4, P. Daplidice, 5, E. Belemia, 6, 

 var. glauce, 7, E. Belia, 8, E. Charlonia, 9, E. Pechi, 10, C. Edusa, 11, G. rhamni, 

 12, Q. Cleopatra, 13, Thestor Ballus, 14, Th. mauritanicus, 15, Ch. Phlaas, 16, L. 

 batica, 17, L. Telicanus, 18, L. Theophrastus, 19, L. Abencerragus, 20, L. melanops, 

 21, L. Astrarche, 22, L. Icarus, 23, L. argiolus, 24, L. Lysimon, 25, T r . polychloros, 

 26, 7". Atalanta, 27, V. cardui, 28, P. Egeria, 29, C. Megcera, 30, C. aZce« var. 

 australis. 



March was ushered in by a sharp frost at El Kantara, so we 

 returned to Biskra in search of warmth, and spent a clay on the Beni 

 Mora, getting a few L. Theophrastus, L. Lysimon, and sundries. The 

 5th was another red letter day with us, notwithstanding a high wind. 

 We went to the Col de Sfa, and in a very steep rocky hollow, exposed 

 to the full power of the southern sun, I took four specimens of 

 Teracolus Nouna. Such was my ignorance that I believed the insect 

 to be E. Falloui, and not till nearly a month later did T realize what 

 a prize I had ! 



On March 7th we started from Biskra on a camping tour in the 

 Aures, travelling by Branis, Beni-Ferah and Ragli to Timgad in the 

 Tell, and returning via Medina, Ktout, and Djinina to Sidi Masmoudj, 

 where we again found ourselves on the outskirts of the desert. Had 

 we made this expedition in May, I feel little doubt that we should 

 have taken many good insects, but in March there was little or nothing 

 to be had ; and although our tour was most enjoyable, it was, ento- 

 mologically, a complete failure. We often had frost at night, the 

 higher mountains being covered with snow, and though we generally 

 rejoiced in glorious sunshine, gales were frequent. I may add, for 

 the benefit of possible travellers, that the country is as safe as 

 Switzerland, the French officers most hospitable, the Arab inhabitants 

 civil and honest, and the women, who are remarkably handsome, walk 

 about everywhere alone and unveiled. 



At Sidi Masmoudj we were once more in a hot country, and 



again met with L. Theophrastus and T. Nouna, of which we took six. 



Again we found Nouna (or Falloui as I then thought it) haunting a 



sunny precipitous hollow, and showing a decided preference for one 



c c 



