RHOPALOCERA AT BARCELONA, ETC. 279 



Another notable capture was the Canigou form of Melanargia 

 lacliesis, which occurred in some numbers before we left. 



In the garden was a row of beds that had just been sown 

 with seed, and, after the gardener had given them their morning 

 deluge, it was a pretty sight to see swarms of blues and skippers 

 settle there and revel in the moisture. 



By the middle of the day the sun had left this hot corner, 

 and after dejeuner we generally crossed the river, and wandered 

 along the road to Castell, where butterflies seemed more plentiful 

 than elsewhere. In this respect it reminded me of that wonderful 

 valley of the Ormonts in Switzerland, between Aigle and Le 

 Sefrey, only that the species were almost entirely different. 



About a mile from Vernet was another hot corner — a hollow 

 bend of the road, sheltered from any slight breeze that might 

 be stirring, and this seemed to be the rendezvous of all the 

 butterflies in the neighbourhood. Commonest of all was Aporia 

 cratagi, and after that Euchloe euphenoides and Melitcea athalia ; 

 then came Leptidia sinapis, Colias edusa, Gonepteryx rhamni, 

 Limeiiitis Camilla, Polygonia c- album, Melitcea clidyma, Argynnis 

 lathonia, Pararge cegeria and megcra, Aphantopus hyperanthus, 

 Epinephele jurtina var. hispulla, Ccenonympha arcania and pant- 

 pkilus, hyaena argus, astrareJie, icarus, escheri, and bellargus, 

 Argiades sylvanus, Hesperia carthami, and a crowd of others. A 

 little nearer Vernet, on the same road, I took two perfect speci- 

 mens of the beautiful Pararge mcera var. adusta. The type is 

 not found in the Eastern Pyrenees. 



But, seductive as this locality was, we felt the need of going 

 farther afield, if we were to do any sort of justice to the district. 

 And so, when the demeanour of the amiable Treasurer of the 

 E.S.L. indicated that he was absorbed in the solution of a 

 problem, I knew instinctively that Mont Canigou was the subject 

 of it. A few suggestions on my part added fuel to the flame ; a 

 companion was found in a young Englishman staying at the 

 hotel, and on the following morning they were off, taking with 

 them the necessary sleeping-gear for spending the night at a 

 comfortable chalet not far from the peak. After a wholesome 

 night's rest they made an early start for the summit, and, when 

 they had sufficiently recovered from the labour of discharging 

 superlatives at the incomparable panorama that lay before 

 them, Jones unfurled his "engin de chasse," and they com- 

 menced the descent. At first there was an immense and rugged 

 moraine intersected by broad streaks of snow — no trees and no 

 shrubs — only a few herbs and lichens clinging to the rocks ; 

 also some small ponds. When the trees did appear they were 

 knotted and twisted into the most extraordinary shapes, testifying 

 to the terrible struggles they must have had to sustain against 

 the tempests. Jones was rather surprised to take Euchloe 

 cardamines at 7000 ft., and Argynnis euphrosyne at G000 ft. ; 



