NOTES ON THE SEASON. RHOPALOCERA. 267 



worked likely spots for it. Coenonympha satyrion swarmed everywhere 

 and on the Muottas Muraigl Pontia callMice was abundant and in 

 good condition. On marshy ground near the Val del Fain, B. pales 

 was plentiful and variable, one very richly marked specimen 

 approaching var. arsilache being taken and a few of the purple-shot var. 

 napaea. Polyommatiis eros, AlbHli7ia pheretes and Latiorino orbitulus were 

 not uncommon. The Roseg Valley produced Parnassim delius, E. 

 tnnestra, JSlelitaea parthenie var. varia with a nice form of the 5 , and a 

 few il/. niatiirna var. wolfensberyeri. 



We made two excursions to Campfer in the hope of finding B. 

 thnre, but were disappointed, and on our second visit were caught in a 

 drenching storm, which put an end to collecting. The ground here 

 seemed exceptionally rich, and insects swarmed to such an extent that 

 it was difficult to select and follow the one wanted. We took Hirsutina 

 damon var. ferreti with undersides coloured like A. donzelii, B. 

 ino, Erebia evias, E. (joante, E. mnestra, P. c-album, Chrysophanns 

 viryanreae, C. hippothoe and var. enrybia, and other things, but failed 

 to find B. pales var. arsilache in the marshy ground near the lake. 



A huge new hotel is in course of erection, and the ground is noted 

 as being worth another visit. 



We met with a number of Parasemia plantayinis, and curiously 

 enough most of those netted were of the var. hospita, with white 

 ground instead of yellow. 



The weather was glorious during most of the time we spent at 

 Pontresina, the few storms we had in the evenings only serving to lay the 

 dust and cool the air, and we came home with well packed store boxes and 

 the impression that 1912 was a good entomological yeai', but heard 

 that the day after we left Pontresina there was a fall of snow and a 

 general break-up of the weather. 



Notes on the Season. Rhopalocera. 



By S. G. CASTLE RUSSELL. 



I cannot say that I have experienced a successful season this year, 

 as owing to the want of sunshine my opportunities for field collection 

 were few, notwithstanding the fact that I had arranged to devote three 

 full days per week for outdoor work during the season, and a whole 

 month in August. After the middle of July and up to the end of 

 August the days I selected for excursions were without exception 

 either wet or sunless and very windy. The absence of butterflies on 

 the wing was quite remarkable, and one wonders what the effect will 

 be as regards next season, as opportunities for copulation must have 

 been greatly curtailed, and in the latter part of the season very heavy 

 rains must have occasioned great mortality even among freshly 

 emerged specimens. 



The following weather record made by Mr. Edwards of Salisbury, 

 and applying to that district, is interesting, and shows that the summer 

 of 1912 was not much worse than several years preceding it, so far 

 as the rainfall is concerned, but as regards consistent absence of sun- 

 shine I certainly think that 1912 excelled all previous years that I 

 can remember. 



