A FORTNIGHT AT MONT VENTOUX (vaUCLUSe). 7 



outside the little village of Bedoin appears to be a vast waste of rock 

 and stone almost devoid of vegetation, but this first impression is not 

 quite correct for there is really everywhere, except on the steepest 

 gradients and the very summit, a considerable amount of stunted 

 brushwood and also plenty of more or less dried up low growing plants 

 that are just able to maintam an existence on the wind-swept serried 

 surface. But along the route towards the east (the summit runs 

 roughly east and west so that the slopes are approximately north and 

 south ; Bedoin being on the southern side) that leads to the summit 

 there are large areas of various trees, on the borders of which the 

 vegetation, being protected, is more luxuriant, with lavender and other 

 aromatic herbs in abundance. The best hunting grounds were 

 naturally in this district, though Monsieur H. Brown tells me that 

 much the most interesting side is to the north in the neighbourhood 

 of Brantes. But Bedoin on the edge of the lowland country is totally 

 different, here we were but 800 feet high, whereas the altitude of 

 Ventoux is over 6000 feet, and around our hotel we found ourselves 

 in the land of olives and vineyards, a land where tomatoes and 

 asparagus were cultivated in acres and acres, and a land apparently of 

 incredible plenty and luxuriant growth. The cultivated lavender, of 

 which there were vast fields, grew in great and beautiful bushes four 

 to five feet high with a girth in proportion, whilst the olive trees were 

 probably by the million and were almost the feature of the landscape, 

 with their neat and trim appearance, and their bluish green foliage, 

 and with their height always within the range of a ladder of quite 

 moderate length. The people like the country looked prosperous, the 

 farms all beautifully kept and the fields in exposed parts protected 

 from the winds b}^ bamboo hedges and rows of maize. Poverty or want 

 seemed to be most certainly banished from this part of France. It was 

 indeed most interesting to see agricultural and horticultural France at 

 home, quite oft' the usual tourist route, and here as ever, ready to give 

 her allies a most cordial welcome, for nothing could be more gratifying 

 than the welcome given to us not only b)^ our hosts Monsieur and 

 Madame Bernard but also by many of the French tourists on their 

 way up to the observatoire, on the summit of Ventoux itself. 



The butterfly fauna of Bedoin is not quite similar to that of 

 Ventoux and therefore it will be better to keep them separate. No 

 doubt we were fully late in both cases, but especially in the former, 

 though this was advantageous so far as some of the Satyrids were 

 concerned, but there is no doubt that had we gone there for the end of 

 June and the beginning of July my list of species would have been 

 greatly increased, nevertheless it may be interesting inasmuch as it is 

 a record from a district that is probably quite new to most English 

 readers. Taking the lowland country (if I may call it so at 800 feet) 

 around Bedoin, between the vineyards or between the olive plantations, 

 and such like, there are often broad cart roads for the passage of carts 

 collecting the produce, and these are sometimes edged hj high banks 

 with paths on the top and plenty of rough growth and flowering 

 plants, whilst here and there are small copses of trees with the usual 

 undergrowth around — these byways and undisturbed spots were the 

 places where insects were to be best obtained, whilst the small woods 

 around the farms at the very foot of the mountain were also worth 

 visiting for various odd species. 



