BUTTERFLY-HUNTING IN THE BALKANS. 



125 



variety, published in the Entomological Society's * Transactions,' 

 1900, p. 205, says that it differs from the normal European form 

 in having, in most cases, the apical band of the fore wing below 

 obsolete, but that about one-third of his specimens show a trace 

 of the band. My specimens agree with those of Mr. Elwes, for 

 I have three or four examples, mostly females, in which a 

 rudimentary band can be seen, and in these specimens the 

 apical eye-spot is also well developed. The ground colour of the 

 hind wings, especially of the females, is of the same immphilus- 

 yellow which prevails' throughout. Altogether, C. var. rhodopensis 

 is a most attractive form of this variable species. 



After lunch I determined to re-visit the flowery hillside 

 behind the hotel, following up a narrow path which I afterwards 

 found was the old road to Kjeka. Here I again met with the 

 local form of tiphon. A pupa of Aporia cratagi was discovered, 

 from which in a few days the butterfly emerged. Two very 

 common insects were Venilia maculata and Vanessa cardui, and I 

 found a colony of Zygasnid larvae on wild sage, which I was 

 unable to rear. The path wound about among the mountains, 

 and great was my surprise, on crossing a ridge, to find rnyself 

 above the high road close to the Belvedere, which I had visited 

 earlier in the day. So I determined to pay another visit to the 

 little meadow, but a curious incident interfered with my plans. 

 As I descended to the road I heard what I thought to be a 

 number of boys coming from the direction of Cettijne, and 

 singing songs as they walked along ; but hardly had I reached 

 the pavilion when I discovered that the noise proceeded from a 

 regiment of khaki-clad soldiers, marching along the road without 

 any sort of order. As I watched them they formed up, and 

 standing at the entrance to the path leading to the meadow 

 an officer addressed them at great length, apparently on the 

 subject of taking cover. So well was the lesson learned that 

 a few seconds after the order to disperse had been given not a 

 soldier was to be seen except the officers who had remained upon 

 the road. But interesting though this little incident was it quite 

 spoiled my afternoon's work, for access to the meadow had been 

 cut off, and I was not able to enter it until the sun had sunk 

 behind the mountains, and nothing worth speaking of was to be 

 found. Other excursions in the neighbourhood of Cettijne 

 yielded Papilio podalirius, Brenthis euphrosyne, both apparently 

 nearly over, Epinephele janira (males only), Hesperia tapes, 

 Euchloe cardamines, Colias ediisa, Leptosia sinapis, and McliUea 

 cinxia. 



From Cettijne I wanted to go to Skutari, a Turkish town 

 which has lately become famous in connection with the un- 

 fortunate war which broke out a few months after I returned 

 home from the Balkans. But Turks and Montenegrins had 

 already begun to quarrel, and the steamer which usually plies 



