BUTTERFLIES IN THE PYRENEES IN 1907. 179 



feet. At midday it clouded over, and there was a good deal of thunder. 

 We found Noniiades ei/llarus abundant, and in much fresher condition 

 than at Vernet. Polyonnnatiis etichcri was not uncommon, the speci- 

 mens being small and bright, with the marginal spots well developed; 

 in colour they differed from the specimens that we have taken in 

 Switzerland. Melitaea anrinia, smaller and rather darker than the 

 ordinary lowland form, was very much in evidence. The Erebias 

 were in greater variety than elsewhere, and included K. epiphron var. 

 cassiope and var. pyrenaica, K. oeme, K. sti/gne, and E. evias. Of these, 

 E. oeitie was the commonest. 



June 28th. — From Luchon to Cauterets, where we stayed till 

 July 3rd, when we went on to Gavarnie. During the whole time we 

 were at Cauterets the sun did not shine for more than two or three 

 hours, and we saw hardly any butterflies. 



Juhj 4th. — A fine day, until the evening. In the morning we 

 walked to the famous Cirque de Gavarnie. There were not many 

 butterflies on the wing, but we took some very fresh Eripmis laraterae, 

 which, throughout our stay at Gavarnie, we found fairly common, 

 though — as usual — not very easy to capture. All the specimens were 

 smaller and darker than those we have taken in Switzerland. Our only 

 other capture of interest this morning was Erebia tyndarus var. dro)iius, 

 and this also was in very fresh condition. While at Gavarnie we took 

 only three specimens of this insect. It was evidently only just emerg- 

 ing, and would probably be common later on. In the afternoon, on 

 the way to the Gave d'Ossoue, we took in the same field Chrysophanus 

 hippothoi', $ type, and $ var. euryhia, the former in very good condi- 

 tion, the latter much worn. 



July 5th. — Vallee de Poueyespee. Our most interesting capture 

 to-day was a freshly-emerged specimen of Lycaena orbitnlus, the only 

 one we saw while at Gavarnie. Unfortunately, we were too early for 

 this butterfly, and also for L. pyrenaica. The specimen we took was 

 evidently var. oberthiin', the ground colour of the wings being deeper 

 than in the type. In other respects, however, it does not correspond 

 with the interesting description of this variety given by Mr. Rowland- 

 Brown in the Entumoloyist for October, 1905. The discoidal spot on 

 the upperside of the hindwings is not more definite than in the type, 

 and the costal spot on the underside is ocellated. One of us, walking 

 on to the Port d'Espagne and beyond, saw a number of specimens of 

 Erebia lefebvrei, but, unfortunately, the day not being very promising, 

 he had left his net behind. They were very shy, and flew over steep 

 and loose shale, so that in any case it would have been most difficult 

 to capture them ; but it was disappointing not to be able to make the 

 attempt. We should have gone again to the same place, but there was 

 no more sunshine while we were at Gavarnie. 



The Melitaias that we met with at Gavarnie were A/, parthenie and 

 M. dictynna, the latter a peculiar light form, with the black spots on 

 the underside of the hindwings very small or even absent. Perhaps 

 the commonest butterfly was Erebia styyne, and it was in beautiful 

 condition ; the form was large, with the red band pronounced, and the 

 ocellations large and numerous. 



As already stated, we had no more good weather at Gavarnie, and 

 on July 8th we went on to Biarritz. 



July 9th and 10th. — We spent the mornings of these two days in 



