SPRING BUTTERFLIES IN THE RHONE VALLEY. 77 



very sultry and dull, and our exertions had tired us, so that I fear we 

 did not do our duty by the object of our search. As we sat at lunch, 

 close to La Batiaz, the first Pama^sitifi apollo came sailing along, 

 to fall an easy prey to the eager net of my companion, anxious to add 

 to his podalin'iin laurels. Hespeiia cartliaiiii was fresh out on the 

 slopes of the castle hill, as also was Poli/oimimtus bdlargns. A single 

 Apuria cratacgi was taken, also close to the tower. In the afternoon 

 we walked through the marshe>^, under the cliffs, to Vernayaz, but saw 

 nothing noteworthy except numbers of Loircia <lnrilis, nearly all 

 males, and a few perfectly fresh Melitaea dirti/nna. 



The next dny we climbed up the lower slopes of the Dent du 

 Midi, to Verossaz, and on above the hamlet for about 3000 feet, 

 returning late in the day by Monthey. Iphidides podalin'iis was 

 common just above the valley — nearly all females busy ovipositing. 

 A single ('ip-lopi'es palaewon was taken off a manure henp in Verossaz 

 itself. The gentians and primulas {I'riunila elatinr and i'. fdiinoaa) 

 on the higher slopes were a sight never to be forgotten. 



The next day was almost a blank. My friend left me to return to 

 England, and the skies signalised his going with sixteen hours of heavy 

 rain. On the following day I went up to Sion, as the clouds seemed 

 lighter in that direction, and I was rewarded by a magnificent after- 

 noon and a greater abundance of butterflies than I had yet seen. I 

 spent the whole time in some meadows on the north and east sides of 

 the town, getting round, finally, to the railway-banks, where they run 

 close to the river below the castle rock. The meadows were a glorious 

 sight. Big fphididcf! podaliriiin swung from the flower-heads with 

 lots of Aparia crataegi, of which I saw several pairs in cop. At one 

 place I snapped up two biggish blues, which proved to be Lycaena 

 anianda, both very fresh, but they were all I sa"\v. Melitaea didijma 

 was common in the same field , Ai/lain uiticae brilliantly red and fresh 

 out ; a few Parnafisiiis apolln : scores of ddiaa Jn/ale and common 

 whites. But the railway-banks were the most prolific hunting-ground. 

 " Blues " of various kinds were most abundant — At/riadeH helUnyus, 

 Poli/oiiniiatiis Injlas, P. alexu, Aricia atftrarche, Plebeius [Iluaticufi) arifus, 

 P. ar(j!/ri)!pit)iiion, Celastrina arijiolus and, at last, Flverea oryiades var. 

 roretas. I did not notice the last-named among the crowds of other 

 " Blues " for some time, but when 1 had discovered it, I managed to 

 get half-a-dozpn beautiful specimens, but all males. Another denizen 

 of the railway-bank was Melitaea aurelia, already beginning to be worn. 

 Other but erilies I saw or took were /l(///mf/es .s/y/rfl?u(s just out ; one 

 lovely $ Pontia daplidice ; odd specimens, very small, of Issoria 

 lato)iia, Melitaea dicti/mia, Pararye inaera, and one worn /*. eyeria. 

 Altogether that day I took 48 different species. 



On May 81st 1 went to Territet and up to Glion, spending the 

 whole day between Glion, Caux, and Sonciez. The meadows towards 

 Les Avants were white with naicissi, among which flew swarms 

 of Neinenbiiis liiciva, Hesperia iiialvae, Powellia .sao and Colias hyale. 

 Coming down towards Sonciez I found another " butterfly corner." 

 " Blues " were swarming — Cyanirl^ semiaryits, ^ and 2 ', Ayriades 

 hellaryiis, all Js but one; Pfdyoiiiniatiis hylas, all c? S ; and 7^. alexis. 

 Leptidia sinapis was everywheie, while three Melitieas, M. parthenie, M. 

 cinxia and M. aiiriiiia flew together in bewildering abundance. M. 

 aiirinia was going ovei-, but I got a good series, which I have not yet 



