( 137 ) 



THE TINE^E OF THE HIGHER ALPS, 

 By Professor Frey. 



To the Lepidopterist it is a moment of his life never to be 

 forgotten, when he, for the first time, eager for sport, enters 

 an Alpine region, and wearily climbs to the summits of the 

 higher mountains. 



And truly a greater enjoyment of nature is hardly possible 

 than when at early morn, the " alpenstock" in hand, the blue 

 sky above, having stowed in our pocket all the requirements 

 for the day, provisions for the lunch on the mountain-top, 

 boxes, pins and nets for the long and persevering pursuit, 

 feeling quite fresh and vigorous in the cool air, we enter the 

 shady, dewy meadow, whilst the snowy sides of the magnifi- 

 cent mountain-world around have the rosy glow from the 

 morning sun. 



Soon we pass through the meadow-ground of the valley, 

 and enter the wood which clothes the foot of the mountain ; 

 we climb up the rough path, by the side of the thundering 

 mountain stream, now over high rocks, now crossing the 

 narrow bridge. The entire insect world is here below, in 

 the shady ravine, still in the soundest repose. At most 

 one perceives a Geometva sleeping on a rock, such as the 

 grey Ccesiaria or the green Aj)taria, or our tread disturbs 

 some Or ambus, with its short heavy flight, from the wet 



