LEPIDOPTERA OF THE GRISONS THE STRELA PASS. 273 



Lepidoptera of the Grisons— The Strela Pass. 



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

 From Davos-Platz a cable railway lifts one up the steep sides of 

 the Strela mountain for just about 1000ft. elevation, to the Schatz 

 Alp, in about twelve minutes, and deposits one at once at 6150ft. 

 elevation on the upper level of the pines, and on the borders of the 

 pastures that stretch rapidly away over the Strela Alp to the Strela 

 Pass, a footpath leading thereby to Langwies, in the Schanfigg-Thal. 

 One sees a large number of what one assumes to be Erehia lu/ea and 

 two or three species of Antkrocera on the way up, and around the 

 station itself E. lii/ea occurs, but this insect of the valleys and woods 

 does not extend to the pastures. The owners of the large sanatorium 

 here have planted young pines on the slopes for some distance above, 

 no doubt to act as a further shelter, but at present they are only a few 

 inches in height and have not yet affected the natural vegetation, 

 which, doubtless, will be largely exterminated as the pines grow. 

 Consumptive patients in various stages of the disease are very 

 numerous, and to be seen sitting by, or slowly walking up, the newly- 

 made paths near, and jast above, the sanatorium, but one very 

 quickly scrambles above the sickness that meets one everywhere at 

 Davos, which certainly is not a place in which to spend " a happy 

 day." The pastures are for a time fenced in, so that cattle do not 

 wander at will, and here, on the flowers, one finds an abundance of 

 Coenont/))ijiJia satyno7i, Melawpias melaiiipas, Erebia tymiarus, with 

 some Chri/sophanus hippothoe and Loweia snbalpina. Antkrocera 

 achilleae, with rather ill-developed spots, is going over, as also is A. 

 transalpina. Malacowma alpina appears to be frequent, several ? s 

 being observed as one walks through the tall herbage. 



The morning of August 2nd, 1908, was really lovely on the slopes 

 above the Schatz Alp. The sky was cloudless, and the air delightfully 

 soft and fragrant, very different from the cool, damp, piercing chilli- 

 ness of the preceding evening. Beyond the fenced portion, the natural 

 pastures had been cattle-trodden, but were not spoiled for insects, as 

 is often the case on the high alps near large towns and villages. 

 Working steadily upwards, one found, besides Erebia tyndarus, Aryyn- 

 7iis niobe, and A. aylaia, fair numbers of Colias pJucnnione, Brenthis 

 pales, and Polyominatus orbitulus, and our attention was soon devoted 

 to gettnig together a good series of the latter, a rather difficult matter, 

 as the (? s were worn and the $ s none too common, and considerably 

 over an hour quickly passed without getting more than a couple of 

 dozen examples up to cabinet standard, although others were 

 picked up all day up to the summit of the Pass. Much time, too, was 

 spent in watching the habits of this species, and $ after $ was 

 watched down, and seen slowly to walk among the herbage as if on egg- 

 laying intent, but with no result. Everywhere one met with Pieris 

 brassicae in numbers, flying quickly or settling on flowers, even 

 up to the summit of the Pass. Many purely alpine insects, that never 

 seem to come low down, were soon struck, amongst others, Melampias 

 epiphron, Erebia fiorf/e, and E. lappona, a few Psodos quadrifaria, P. tre- 

 pidaria, etc. Melampias epiphron flew fairly rapidly and continuously over 

 the pastures ; Erebia lappona, of fairly large size, rose quickly, got 

 into the wind, and swiftly, although apparently so gently, was carried 

 December 15th, 1908. 



