92 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



But before these days were over we had come upon tiphon 

 elsewhere, and in at least one of its romantic haunts on the 

 historic ground " between Bala and Festiniog." It was on July 

 2nd that we found the butterfly. Our route for some miles lay 

 along the Maesmor Valley and by its babbling stream, with 

 hedges on either side of the road decorated with wild roses. 

 Turning to the left, we began the ascent to the Bala-Festiniog 

 Koad, finally reaching a height of some 1200 ft. above sea-level. 

 The forest-belt of oak was now left below, the roses had dis- 

 appeared, and were replaced by two forms of Spiraa — one with a 

 profusion of pink Howers, the other white. Foxgloves of a deep 

 red nestled in the hedge-banks, and suggested thoughts of 

 Eupithecia pulchdlata. On the mountain slopes were big yellow 

 violas, differing from those on the mountains on the other side 

 of the valley, which were blue. 



We were now where the sounds of population failed, and our 

 plan was to halt when likely bogs, clad in heather and cotton- 

 grass, appeared on either side, leave the car in charge of our 

 chauffeur, and search for the butterfly. The day was almost 

 sunless and the search laborious, but at last we came upon a 

 freshly emerged female, stiffening its wings on a grass-stem. 

 The empty pupa-case, however, was not discovered. 



We had thus the key to the situation; so, returning to the 

 car, we soon covered the twenty miles that lay between us and 

 home. 



July 3rd was a better day, so, taking advantage of it, we 

 paid a second visit to the spot, and netted altogether eighteen 

 males, all in fine condition. On the 15th Mr. Kerr found the 

 butterfly flying freely (both sexes), but much worn; and it was 

 difficult to get half a dozen in really good condition. 



Comparing the Welsh form* with that of North Lancashire, 

 and especially with the one at Delamere, the Welsh insect suffers 

 in the comparison. The specimens caught showed a golden 



* I am greatly indebted to Mr. Arkle and Mr. Kerr for much valuable 

 information on the subject of these welcome new-found Welsh tiphon. This 

 I have incorporated in a monograph upon Cosnonympha tiphon, Rott., shortly 

 to appear in the ' Etudes de Lepidopterologie Comparee,' published by 

 M. Charles Oberthlir, of Eennes. Mr. Arkle was good enough to send me 

 three perfect male specimens on the day of their capture, and two at least 

 will be figured in colour by M. J. Culot among the thirty-six selected for 

 illustration from localities throughout the United Kingdom. The Merioneth 

 tiphon is decidedly typical, though somewhat smaller than the run of ex- 

 amples from Northumberland, Yorkshire, and elsewhere (Buckell's middle 

 form). It has apparently little relation with the phiJoxenus found in its at 

 present nearest-known haunts in Shropshire, in Delamere Forest, and in the 

 mosses of Lancashire (southern form). Mr. Walker's record in Denbighshire 

 suggests that the connecting link between the marsh and the mountain 

 tiphon hereabouts may yet be discovered in the intervening areas, some 

 of which still retain land well adapted to the life-habits of the species. — 

 H. R.-B. 



