194 



THE ENTOMOLOGIST S RECORD. 



far up the slopes, above the higher moraine, and sat and enjoyed the 

 scenery till time warned us that it was a long step back to St. Moritz, 

 but we were unfortunate entomologically, and lepidoptera refused to 

 come our way. 



The lepidoptera of the Orisons — the Roseg Valley. 



By J. W. TUTT, F.E.S. 

 Next morning, August 14th, was also fine, and the slopes above 

 Pontresina suggested that Erebia t^arofasciata might still be obtainable, 

 but, in spite of the lateness of the season, we thought the journey 

 would most probably be wasted. Besides, I wanted to go up on the Roseg 

 Glacier, and it looked an easier journey for a lazy entomologist. This 

 day was another full of enjoyment. I walked smartly through the 

 woods to the entrance of the Roseg Valley, and then just simply basked 

 in the hot sun all day, acting well up to the motto of never doing 

 to-day what you could possibly put off till to-morrow, not forgetting, 

 however, that butterflies must be caught to-day or they Avould not be 

 seen to-morrow. At the entrance to the valley, Brenthis amathusia 

 and B. ino were in abundance, unfortunately worn, whilst Argynnis 

 aglaia and A. niobe, many just emerging, were in the utmost profusion. 

 They swung with wings extended horizontally from every fioAver, or 

 flew rapidly off and back again, as if on an important errand. Some 

 of the undersides of A. af/laia were remarkably yellow, others almost 

 brown, whilst of A. niobe, bright silver- spotted undersides were, 

 perhaps, more abundant than the yellow-spotted on a bright red 

 ground ; Isson'a lathonia, too, was common, and only those who have 

 seen five different species of large " fritillaries " really abundant on the 

 same ground can tell how beautiful a sight it is. Down in the bottom 

 of the valley, as well as on the slopes, Colias phienmone abounded, but 

 they wanted overhauling for good specimens. Only the four usual 

 Erebias were noticed — Erebia (joante, E. euryale, E. tyndarus, and 

 E. melampus, but these were plentiful enough, one 2 R- euryale having 

 the usual fulvous area of the forewings quite yellow. (Joenonympha 

 pamphilm occurred with C. satyrion, Polyommatus icartis swilled at the 

 runnels with P. eros, and Agriades corydnn was as abundant as 

 Plebeius argiis and Aricia astrarche, whilst Hesperia alvcns and Jjrbicola 

 co)iima appeared to be everywhere. The undersides of some of the 

 P. eros appeared to tend to the obsoleta form, one in particular has the 

 usual transverse row of spots on the hindwings absent, and that on 

 the forewings much reduced in number (four only being present). 

 Polyommatus donzelii and Cyaniris seiuiargus were also observed, and 

 several Cupido minimus. In fact, it was the presence of these 

 "blues" that settled my never reaching the glacier this day, for I 

 might not come across C. minimus again, before I published 

 my account thereof in the Nat. History of British Lepidoptera, 

 and, whilst the chance occurred, observations of these common 

 species had to be made, so I spent a couple of hours with 

 them, and then it was lunch time. A single large ? Melitaea 

 didyma puzzled me much till it was captured. I did not see 

 another. So far as my memory served, I had been told that the chief 

 ground in the valley was above the woods on the left-hand side facing 

 the glacier, and, as this was known, I thought I would take the right- 



