THE LEPIDOPTERA OK TICINO PIOTTA. 



127 



exclude the hot sun. Newly-emerged examples of all the species on 

 the bank were abundant, and, in addition, Loweia i/nrdiiis, the bright 

 southern 2 of Heodes vinfaureae, and a single specimen of Chrysophanns 

 phlaeaa. The J s of Heodes vinjaureae were neglected, but the J s, 

 with exceptionally long elongated spots on the forewings, were in the 

 pinl\' of condition, and, for a while again, time and everything were 

 lost except the satisfaction of one's surroundings. The peculiar dark 

 hindwing variation of H. virf/aureae and its parallelism in other 

 species of this group are worthy of a separate paper. A scuffle over the 

 bright blossom, and the big bee in my net is transferred to a box, a 

 late but yet good example of Hemaris fiiciforwis. Another and j'et 

 another, but both worn, and, as I looked round, straight up the glade 

 a lovely Apatnra iris sailed in its first splendour. Here were Chattenden 

 Roughs' thoughts uppermost, and, as I stood quite still, whilst the 

 beauty came on, the old excitement arose, and I felt I was on the 

 point of missing, but no, a sudden movement and the insect was in the 

 net, and a moment later in the box, a ^ evidently emerged that very 

 morning. The sides of the glade literally swarmed with Flrebia aetliiops. 

 whilst the two " browns " of the district, Epinephele Ujcann and E. 

 ianira were abundant, the former particularly so. Among the " coppers 

 were some Cocnoni/iiipha var. danriniana, but the species was going over. 

 Space was getting scarce, and taste grew inversely proportional in its 

 fastidiousness. One could not carry away all the inhabitants of the aldei- 

 carr, and it is well that this is so. One hopes that, in the ages to 

 come, the same pleasure that was ours this lovely summer morning, 

 will be that of some unknown successors to whom our tastes and oui 

 aspirations are strangfly handed on. We slowly climb the bank again. 

 look regretfully at the swarms of lovely butterflies, one or more on 

 every flower, and then dart down again. One must really have that 

 lovely calesina that flaunts its iridescent wings with the pupal fluid 

 almost moist on them, and then one crosses the bridge and gets on 

 the road to Piotta ; but what entomologist can walk on paths when 

 a wide flat waste runs for nearly half-a-mile alluringly by, when large 

 alder-trees skirc the river, now ever increasing its distance from the 

 village by a large bend. On the flat and over to the alders, we Avill 

 at least wander on the waste whilst we can, but the real wealth of the 

 insects has been left behind. Argi/)iiiis jiiohe, Kpiiwpliclc h/raou and 

 I'L ianira are more abundant than ever; Li/caciui arion occasionally skips 

 over the flower-stre^vn way, Lotrcia i/nrdins is on the thyme, with the 

 dark purple ('i/aniris semiarf/Ks, Plebeiiis art^iis, and a single ? Aricia 

 ctuiii'don with the bases of the underside of the wings scattered with 

 brilliant blue. I walk up to an alder, my instinct was right,' late as it is 

 the resting moth is Hi/psi/x'ten iinpliiriata, and there is another and yet 

 another. Rather dark Enbolia bipnnctata come out from the coarse 

 herbage, and a pale whitish form of Minna enphirbiata insists on being 

 noted. But the afternoon is here, 2 p.m., and under the shade of an 

 alder we sit and eat our friigal lunch, and soon afterwards we wander 

 into Piotta for a drink at the parish pump. Then we saunter back 

 again, and take a long time to crawl over those four miles between us 

 and Airolo. How we looked at the alder carr, and wondered why we 

 still must go down into that gladfe once more. How we picked up the 

 i)iggest and finest I'arnassiKs ap(dlo, just to see if they had not got 

 extra red spots you know, and how regretfully we let tliem go again. 



