272 [October, 1892. 



inhabitants of Digne would do well to imitate. Soon after leaving 

 Grasse we passed through some rough country covered with a scrubby 

 growth of box, Rhamnus alaternus, the red wig-tree {Rhus cotinus), 

 with its handsome feathery inflorescence, and large patches of Cistus 

 salvicefolius^ which must have been very handsome in the spring. 

 Among these bushes we found a good many Epinepliele Ida, flying 

 with Hesperia Actcuon, Thecla spini, and an occasional Gonopteryx 

 Cleopatra. Further on the country was not quite so promising. 



We stayed the whole of the next day at Castellane, but found 

 the district rather too much cultivated to admit of much collecting ; 

 we netted, however, a few Lyccena Telicanus flying round the fields of 

 lucerne, and also a specimen of PapiUo Alexanor. 



On the 18th we drove by diligence from Castellane to Digne, a 

 hot dusty drive of about thirty miles, for the most part quite without 

 shade. We did not see much to notice in the way of butterflies, with 

 the exception of Lyccena Admetus, var. Rippertii on lavender flowers, 

 but saw on the way very clear indications of the severity of the previous 

 winter in the remains of several old olive trees, which had been killed 

 outright in the fields by the frost. 



We arrived at Digne about three weeks later than the time at 

 which we left the year before, and, consequently, found quite a difi'erent 

 set of butterflies, the members of the genus Satyrus predominating. 

 It would be difficult to say which is the best month to visit Digne 

 for butterflies, as the season is so long. In fact, to do the locality 

 justice, it would be necessary to arrive a,t Digne about the middle 

 of April, when Er.ehia Episfygne comes out, and to stay until the end 

 of August, when E. Neoridas and Satyrus Arethusa are getting over. 



Our best collecting ground in the immediate neighbourhood of 

 Digne was the district on the north-east side of a mass of rock, called 

 La Colette, at the foot of which the greater part of the town is built. 

 The central portion of this ground is mostly cultivated, but there are 

 gorges on either side running down to the roads leading to the village 

 of Les Dourbes, and to Barcelonette respectively, both of which are 

 very productive. This property belongs to a M. Brachet, of Marseilles, 

 who lives at Digne during the summer, and whose permission should 

 be sought before collecting there. His reception was most cordial and 

 good-natured, and after off"ering us hospitality, he invited us to roam at 

 our pleasure over his domain. He seemed to be much interested at 

 the enthusiastic way in which we pursued our prey, notwithstanding the 

 heat, and after some reflection he said in confidence to Lemann, " Je 

 crois bien que vous etes enrages de courir aiusi dans le soleil." Other 



