162 THb; EXTOMOLOGIHt'« RKOOKl). 



menced to ascend this uiorniug. It is an excellent collecting ground, 

 perhaps the best I have as yet found in Northern Italy, and has the 

 great advantage of being so sheltered on either side by high clifl's that 

 it is frequently possible to get out of the hob sun when it is full on 

 this defile from early morning up till 2 or 3 p.m. This valley is well 

 watered, ;i stream rushing down its full length from the direction of 

 the village of San Barthelemi, several kilometres above. To-day I 

 found insects very plentiful and in good condition, though I well be- 

 lieve that June and July would have been better months as regards 

 quantity and variety. Flowers were here abundant still, so different 

 from the burni^ up districts of Pre- St. Didier and Courmayeur this 

 year. I took 2 Dri/as pa/nlorn in excellent condition a little way up 

 .the valley, and I', jidilulii'iim, L\ niac/uioii, ('. i-raceus, L. Camilla, I', 

 uion-a and /'. iiwiicra were very abundant. I saw one C. crocens var. 

 helice, but it was not quite perfect. C hera was simply swarming on 

 the blossoms of KitpaUiilniii. The entrance to this small valley is 

 about 10 minutes from the little Hotel Bordon in the village, which 

 hotel, though vory unpretentious, is clean and respectable, and the 

 simple meals arc politely served, though a naturalist who travels with 

 his wife would probably prefer to stay at Austa and make the very 

 short journey to Nus and back by train. 



] stayed ;i,t Nus until August 14th, and during this week I abided 

 the following insects to my captures, viz., Lqinpides boeticiis (one 

 perfect), l>i'ln/s qnerciis (common), Ruralis betiilae, the latter large and 

 in excellent condition but not very abundant, lUunicia /ihlacais var. 

 cleuft, C hyale, and D. jiaplda, female var. valesina (the prevailing form 

 of the female here), f>'. ii/caon (abundant), and i'. statilinii>i (very 

 abundant and very fresh. In the lower part of this valley I also took 

 three very fine and fresh female specimens of Chri/suphaiiiia hijiiiothof. 



On August l".ith I mounted up through this valley to the smaller 

 village of San Barthelemi, a four hours' walk up hill, finding L>. iiandura 

 nearly all the way, in some places plentiful and generally very fresh 

 in both sexes ; also tleodes i-injaiireae in both sexes but worn in the 

 higher altitudes, and a few /'. aethio/za. After dejeuner at the make- 

 shift of a hotel in the tiny village, it started to ram, rain, rain, ending 

 in a considerable fall of- snow on the mountains close by. I therefore 

 descended on account of the cold, having left my coat at Nus, and as 

 all hope of collecting up there on the snow-clad ground for a day or 

 two, was dissipated, the entomological treasures of this altitude could 

 not be ascertained. 



As usual in the Alps I did not find dragon-liies on this long walk 

 at all numerous, but in the lower part of the Valley of San Barthelemi 

 near Nus, I have frequently seen and captured Cunhtlei/aater a7iHHLitt4.s 

 in gocd condition, and one species of JeaclDia that I could not catch. 



In addition to the species mentioned above I took the following 

 insects in this valley during my stay at Nus : — 



Rhopalockka. — Fieris iiianni, F. da/didice, M. didijiiia, P. tiielea<fer, 

 Celaxtrina anjirdns, P. icarns, K. lavaterae and /'. r-alhiuii. 



Hetkkoceka. — I'ldoijopltDva nieticulosa. 



CoLEoPTEKA. — Lamia textor, (Jli/tUH verbaaci and CJuyaoiiula men- 

 thastri. 



Neukoptkka. — L'hi j/sopa littata, 



Hymenopteka. — Sphecodes i/ibbim, Odyncrna lionotus, AUantus sp. and 

 A)ii<ie}iiis iiiareitli<>rstii=^cin(/iilatinii, Sc<dia Jiirta and EiDiienes iniiiaicidiis. 



