1908.] l'1-O 



BUTTERFLIES AND NEUEOPTERd IN PERTHSHIRE. 

 BY KENNETH J. MORTON, F.E.S. 



When at Blair Athole in July of last year the little collecting 



that I did outside the Neuroptera was devoted to the butterflies of 



the district. It may be interesting to give some notes that I have 



made regarding them in view of the unusual nature of the season. 



My attention was first directed t > the butterflies by their great 



scarcity in the early part of the month, the cold sunless weather 



which had prevailed for a long time before having continued right on 



to about the middle of July. Then there came a spell of splendid 



sunshine with the almost incredible result that there were as many, if 



not more, butterflies in evidence than I have ever seen before in 



Scotland within the same limits of time and space. 



In the few bright intervals during the dull grey days of the early 



part of the mouth, the only butterflies seen were odd specimens of 



Pieris napi, a few desolate looking Ccenonympha pamphilus, and one 



or two Aglais urticae (doubtless hibernated examples). My favourite 



hunting ground was the banks of the burn which issues from Loch 



Moraig, and here on July 7th, at an elevation of 7-800 feet, was taken 



the first specimen which suggested better things, a <$ of Gupido minima, 



in good condition. On the same day I saw a fresh fritillary, almost 



certainly Brenthis selene. But these appearances were not followed 



by any marked improvement, and it was just a week later, on the 



14th, a really fine warm day, that I took the first Aricia astrarche var. 



artaxerxes, but only one. Next day was again fine, and wishing to 



lake some of this species which a year or two before I had seen on 



Tummelside, past its best at the beginning of July, I cycled over 



there and found none ! It was clear that my capture of the day before 



was quite the first emergence. On the way back to Blair Athole, 



through Glen Errichtie, Polyommatus icarus was seen for the first 



time. 



On the 16th, by the side of the burn, A. astrarche, var. artaxerxes, 



was out in earnest, and during the next week it became abundant on 

 the higher slopes rising from the burn side— these slopes golden with 

 a wealth of Relianthemum, acres seeming on a cursory glance to grow 

 nothing else. By the burn side P. icarus was most abundant and in 

 the finest condition. 



On the 17th and 18th I was in Rannoch ; two days of absolutely 

 cloudless sky ; but things were late. Brenthis euphrosyne was found 

 in quite fair condition in the Black Wooa, where B. selene was 

 abundant. 



