182 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



English eyes, rarity of the butterflies about, induced me to pur- 

 chase a net and pill-boxes, and capture some thirty species. 

 The dates between which they were taken were May 3rd to May 

 18th, or just about a fortnight ; and probably, had we stopped 

 a few days longer, the list would have been largely augmented, 

 as they were just beginning to come out in quantities when we 

 left. Having no setting-apparatus, we simply enclosed the spe- 

 cimens in small paper envelopes, and with a very few exceptions, 

 they all arrived safe in England, and were set out without much 

 difficulty after relaxing. During the first week, from May 3rd to 

 11th, we were staying at Bex, in the Ehone valley, some fifteen 

 miles above the Lake of Geneva, and a favourite haunt of butter- 

 flies. From here one can take short train journeys up and down 

 the valley, and come across fresh species at every place. The 

 following was the diary of captures : — 



May 3rd. Very hot and sunny ; in a huge orchard-meadow 

 we took several Vanessa antiojm, all hybernated specimens. 

 Leucopliasia sinajns was very abundant, besides Pieris rapes and 

 P. napi, but otherwise there were no others except an occasional 

 Thecla riihi. 



May 5th. Another magnificent day ; saw both Papilio 

 podalirius and P. machaon at Bex; took Argynnis dia and 

 Vanessa c-alhum, which was fairly common in the fine beech- 

 woods which were just coming into leaf. Euchloe cardamines 

 (males) have been about three or four days, but we did not see a 

 female till May 7th ; by the 10th they also were very common. 

 Took Hesperia alveolus for the first time. Vanessa antiopa, V. 

 10, V. urticcE, V. polychloros, are all common everywhere; all 

 hybernated specimens. 



May 7th. Very hot ; on the side of the mountain, half-way 

 between Lavey and Morcles, some 2500 feet up, we took a solitary 

 specimen of Pararge hiera in beautiful condition. At Lavey we 

 also took two P. podalirius and an Argynnis euphrosyne. 



May 9th. This was the day yar excellence for butterflying. 

 Four of us with nets made an excursion up the Ehone valley, 

 between St. Maurice and Lavey, spreading out in line near the 

 base of the high cliffs, and beating the low-lying and luxuriant 

 meadows which were intersected at intervals by ditches and an 

 occasional small pool. It was an ideal place for our game and 

 we were not disappointed. The Papilio podalirius were glorious 



