2S0 [December. 



left Nouna behind on the lower ranges fringing the desert, and saw 

 it no more. 



Batna was our next point, and here we spent a very pleasant day 

 in the cedar forest. We ascended Djebel Touggourt (5000 ft. high), 

 and found patches of snow still lying near the summit. Lower down 

 we took HJ. Pechi just out, and in the valleys saw a good many Thestor 

 mauritanicus, and found them rather hard to distinguish on the wing 

 from Th. B alius, which swarmed. At Lambessa we were unlucky, 

 having a sunless day with storms around, so we took nothing ; but it 

 is probably good collecting ground. 



On April 2nd we returned to Northern Algeria, and I much 

 regret that we did so, as it was still too early for butterflies in that 

 part of the country, and if we had remained in tbe Batua district or 

 anywhere on the southern side of the watershed, we should have done 

 better. We went to Tizi Ouzou and Port (rueydon, and took nothing 

 of interest. Then to Michelet, high up in the Djurjura range, and 

 got only one good butterfly, viz., S. Sao, var. Maliommedani, a very 

 distinct variety. April 11th we made an excursion across the Col de 

 Tirourda in splendid weather, and scarcely saw a butterfly ; the 

 country people assured me that it was much too cold for them, and 

 that they swarmed everywhere six weeks later. Things were much 

 the same at Teniet el Haad (in Oran) ; the cedar forest was splendid, 

 and looked as if it was excellent butterfly ground — only they were not 

 yet out. Here I found Thais rumina for the first time in Algeria, 

 and that was the best thing I took there. We were obliged to return 

 to England April 19th, and I left Africa regretting that I was unable 

 to spend another two months there. 



I believe that Prof. Korb intended to collect at Batna and Lam- 

 bessa during April and May, and might perhaps penetrate into the 

 Aures. His captures must be most interesting if he did so. But it 

 would be almost impossible to work the district properly without a 

 tent, as the Arab villnges have little or no accommodation for strangers, 

 whilst in the Eastern valleys between Khenchela and the Sahara there 

 are scarcely any villages at all, and no inhabitants except in summer, 

 when the Arab shepherds go there and live in tents. If the entomolo- 

 gist would do likewise, he might possibly be rewarded by new species. 



The Cottage, Bridgend : 



September ±th, 1902. 



