THE I.EPIDOPTERA OF CHAMONIX, 35 



always hitherto carried in my trips abroad, Chamonix is only mentioned 

 six times, viz., as a locality for PaDiassiits deli us, P. mnemosyne, Pierifi 

 callidice, Anthocarifi bdia, Polyonimatus optilete and G^neia aello. I can 

 confirm the locality for P. lielius, P. callidice and P. optilete, but I 

 doubt most stroni^ly that A. belia, as such, and apart from A. mnplonia, 

 has ever occurred at Chamonix. The occurrence of (K. aeUo, which is 

 noticed as " pretty abundant in ' The Jardin,' " led me to wish to pay a 

 visit to this interesting spot and the eternal snows, but weather did 

 not permit me to do this. The experience of wandering for a few days 

 in a district like this is hopeless from the point of view of making a 

 list, but a dozen other lepidopterists, each with a few days' experience 

 at different periods during the summer, would perhaps do something 

 towards it. Butterflies will not fly in dull and wet weather, and we 

 had more than a fair share during the time I was there in mid- 

 August, 1902, and the few days at the same time in 1908 were worse. 

 On the few days that the weather was fine I was more astonished at not 

 finding certain species, than at anything I did find. On a slope by the 

 Chapeau, a ParnaHniHs was flying rather freely, in 1902, but I could not 

 capture one. I assumed at the time that this was P. deliuK, as I took 

 an example below, by the side of the main road through the valley, 

 but I found, in 1903, P. apnllo on this ground, so that both species 

 possibly occur here in close proximity. This suggests that one ought to 

 give those of our readers, who do not know Chamonix, some idea of the 

 peculiar conditions, under which insects do occur here. One may walk for 

 some miles along the Chamonix valley at an elevation of about 3400ft. 

 above sea-level and, facing south, look upwards in an unbroken line with 

 steep ascent, to the summit of Mont Blanc at 15785ft. elevation, the 

 Aiguille du Goiiter, the Aiguille du Midi, the Aiguille de Blaitiere, the 

 Aiguille du Plan, Aiguille de Charmoz, and the magnificent Aiguille du 

 Drii, that is to the say, that an insect that flew out say half-a-mile in a 

 horizontal line from an elevation of 7000ft. -8000ft., and then fluttered 

 to the ground, would find itself suddenly transported from a subarctic 

 home to one as dift'erent as would be that of arctic Norway from that of 

 northern France at sealevel. That descents of considerable magnitude 

 are sometimes made, is suggested by t he occurrence of Paniassiuii delins and 

 CoUaft palaeno in the valley near Lavancher , both of which must have come 

 down from the slopes above the Chapeau or Mon tan vert, yet, strangely 

 enough, Anthrocera exulans, which abounds on the slopes between the 

 Montanvert and the foot of the Aiguille de Charmoz, maintains its eleva- 

 tion, and was never observed, even a single specimen, lower than at an 

 altitude of about 6000ft. As details, it may be mentioned that Aporia 

 crataeiji, at Lavancher, on August IGth, 1902, appears to be late, 

 although occurring a few days before at Megeve. Pieri>i rapae and P. 

 napi were the common whites, Oonepteryx rhainni was not seen, and 

 strangely enough only a single ('alias phicomone (on the Brevent) was 

 noted. 



Between Chamonix and Argentiere there appears to be little entomo- 

 logical work to be done, and the most frequent species that crossed one's 

 path in August, 1902, were Colias editsa and ab. helice, hsoria lathonia, 

 Pararye fiiaem, and the common Pieris rapae, but, beyond the village 

 of Les Praz, insects began to become more abundant. Here, in a field 

 by the wayside, one found Anthrocera lonicerae and A. tranmlpina, the 

 only two burnets found in this part of the valley, with Dryafi paphia, 



