I 



NOTES ON A JULY TRIP TO SWITZERLAND. 289 



On July 16th the weather was all that could be desired, and an 

 exceptionally good day's collecting was obtained at Hertenbiihl on the 

 slopes of the Faulhorn. Near Grindelwald the following species were 

 taken : — Aporia crataef/i, Pyranieis atalanta, Issoria lathonia, Ar(ji/nnis 

 ai/laia, Melanari/ia (lalathea, and FJpinephele Jurtina, the last four being 

 very plentiful. Higher up in the peaty meadows Fritillaries were 

 swarming, Melitaea athalia, Arciijnnis adippe, A. niobe var. eris, 

 Brenthis ainathtisia, and B. dia, with Colias phicomone, Erebia 

 epiphron, C. arcania, and Poicellia sao. 



.July 17th was devoted to climbing. The 18th and 19th were 

 spent at Weissenburg in the Simmenthal, which although quite 

 unknown to the writer was thought worth a visit owing to the large 

 number of times it is mentioned in Rev. G. Wheeler's Handbook to the 

 Butterflies of Siritzeiiand. The weather was, however, hopeless, and 

 beyond a few Melanari/ia ijalatca, K. jurtina, A. niooe var. eris, Adopaea 

 flava, Aijriades coridon, and a freshly emerged tlirsutina damon, all 

 taken in a few minutes interval between two rain storms, with a pupa 

 of Polygonia c-albnm from the gate post of the chalet at which I stayed, 

 nothing was obtainable. The main road at the side of the Simme and 

 the meadows above the Sanatoria should undoubtedly prove very pro- 

 ductive in good weather. 



At Meiringen, on July 21st, the weather was still unsettled ; a 

 walk in the environs, however, produced P. rapae, Leptosia sinapis, M. 

 athalia, B. amathusia, M. (jalatJiea, A. iiiedon {astrarche), ('. semiargus, 

 Plebeiiis ar(/i/ro(/no)non and Loireia dorilis. 



The next day was hopeless, but the 23rd dawned gloriously, and a 

 fairly early start was made as we intended to walk from Meiringen up 

 the Hasli-Thal to Handeck. The day proved highly remunerative 

 entomologically. Practically all the species previously taken, with 

 but few exceptions, were again in evidence at some stage of the walk, 

 and many, which on previous days were found singly, now occurred in 

 profusion. The additional species met with were Dryas paphia, 

 Hipparchia semele, and IJeodes viryaureae, all the last being <J s, fresh 

 and very abundant. A pretty clay coloured aberration of Pararye 

 iiiaera was also taken. 



The night was spent at the Handeck Hotel, a most comfortable 

 and inexpensive place. The next day between Handeck and the 

 Grimsel Hospice the following species were taken -.—C. phicomone, C. 

 hyale, K. pharte, K. mnestra, E. gorye, E. tyndarus and Vacciniina 

 optilete. Except for a yellow Geometer, which was in profusion, there 

 were few insects about. This was not to be wondered at as two days 

 previously there had been over a foot of snow. We arrived at the 

 Hospice about midday and then proceeded to the Hotel Belvedere 

 Furka over Nageli's Graetli and the Rhone Glacier. Many Aglais 

 iirticac were seen even on the snow-fields at the summit, with 

 occasionally an Erebia lappona. 



The morning of July 25th was spent in the diligence between 

 Gletsch and Brigue. A gentle drizzle nearly all the way prevented 

 any entomological observations. In the afternoon at Brigue, the sun 

 emerged, and in the fields near the town many insects were taken 

 amongst which may be mentioned Satyrus herinione, E. jurtina var. his- 

 pidla, Piuinicia phlaeas var. ^^^».s, and Polyomiiiatiis escheri, which was very 

 plentiful. After about an hour's collecting a thunderstorm put a stop 



