278 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



about them. It may be interesting, however, to any who may 

 select the latter half of June for their visit to know exactly what 

 species they may expect to find at that period, and the kind of 

 localities in which they occur. 



We thought it best to work the lower elevations first, so we 

 spent two long mornings in the scrubby plantations and low- 

 lying meadows on either side of the road to the Villefranche 

 station. 



Our joy over results was not precisely delirious here ; we 

 were perhaps rather late for the successful working of these dry 

 stony levels, and the only insect at all common was Ccenonympha 

 arcania, in the little grassy and shrubby copses on the right- 

 hand side of the road ; but neither of the vars. darwiniana or 

 satyrion occurred. There were a few Aporia cratcegi, Melitaa 

 athalia, one or two commoner blues, a Melanargia lacliesis, and a 

 single very fine female Lceosopis roboris. 



The next morning we pursued a winding path through the 

 shrubberies leading from the eastern corner of the hotel, which 

 brought us in five minutes to an open sandy tract sparsely covered 

 with Cistus, Lavandula stoccas, and several coarse grasses. A con- 

 duit, which brought water down to the hotels, had in places over- 

 flowed, and made damp patches on the sand. Here the lovely 

 Papilio var. feisthamelii came to take her morning dip. Anything 

 more dainty, more fascinating, than the evolutions in the air of 

 this graceful creature before settling down on the wet sand it is 

 difficult to imagine ; and so shy that, if the first swoop of the 

 net failed, she never came again, and I am not sure that I have 

 not more than once rejoiced at her escape. How different was 

 the bold, dashing P. machaon ! Jones declares that he might 

 have put his net over half a dozen at one time. Here, too, were 

 Melitcea pliosbe and athalia, Pararge esgeria, Epinephele jurtina 

 var. hispulla, and several blues. 



A little farther on, by a shady path under trees, we came to 

 a pretty little flower and vegetable garden in a semicircular 

 cul-de-sac, hemmed in by a steep and lofty bank held together 

 by great boulders interspersed with young ash-trees, brambles, 

 and other shrubs, and the dainty little pitcher-plant {Aristolochia 

 pistalochia) . This latter suggested Thais ruminavax. medcsicaste, 

 and, although we were too late for the imago, two or three larvae 

 were found nearly full-fed. 



The morning sun sent his hottest rays down into this little 

 corner, and it required some courage to face it ; yet, so keen 

 was my companion, that he would stand by the hour against a 

 burning rock high up the bank, in the full glare of the sun, 

 swooping up Laosopis roboris, which seemed to spring at frequent 

 intervals from under his feet, whilst I stood below in the shade, 

 picking up the crumbs, so to speak, that fell from his generous 

 table. 



