SPRING BUTTERFLIES AT HYERES. 183 



geology of the district is varied and somewhat peculiar, and 

 affords a rich harvest of rarities to the botanist. April was, on 

 the whole, a fine month, but more than usually marred by that 

 fierce, dry wind, the "mistral" (N.W), with the provokingly 

 cloudless sky that accompanies it, as a rule ; whilst it blows, no 

 insect stirs in the open, and the collector's only chance is to seek 

 some of the very sheltered gorges that run up into the surround- 

 ing hills. May opened with a fortnight's dull, cloudy, thundery 

 weather, and but little sunshine, or most likely the following list 

 would have been added to considerably. 



Papilio sinon, was common in April, revelling in the warmth of 

 rocky hill-sides, where five or six might sometimes be seen together, and 

 early in the month it seemed partial to plum and almond blossom ; first 

 seen, April 4th, and onwards through May. P. machaon, appeared in 

 sheltered spots and gardens about April 6th, and was less numerous than 

 the preceding. 



Thais polyiveva, var. cassandra, occurred here and there in the plain, 

 b}' the siiies of streams and wet ditches, but occasionally at a slightly higher 

 elevation by small rivulets, on the banks of which its food-plant, the 

 Aristolochia rotunda, grows plentifully ; some specimens approached the 

 type very nearly ; I have been told the variety, usually taken here, is that 

 called ochrea ; first seen, April 6th, and throughout the month. 

 T. nimina, var. medesicaste, is a much scarcer insect usually, and occurs 

 as a rule singly, in dry, warm, sheltered slopes, where the Aristolochia 

 pisloiocJiia (by no means a common plant), its caterpillar's food-plant, 

 grows; on May 3rd the writer was fortunate enough to find this butterfly 

 in prolusion ; some specimens exhibited an almost total suppression of red 

 markings on the fore wing; first seen, April 13th, and it occurred up to 

 May 24th. 



Aporia cratagi, common : first seen. May 7th. 



Pieris brassiccE, P. rapa', and P. napi were all very common. 

 P. daplidice was fairly common all April, chiefly in the plain, at the 

 flowers of Cruciferae, such as Biscutella ; at Bordigliera it was common 

 from the beginning of February ; var. hellidice was rare. 



Euchlo'e helia, was locally common on cistus-covered slopes ; its 

 habit of flight reminds one of Colias ednsu; first captured, April '2nd, 

 thence onward through April and May. E. cardamines, common in pine 

 woods from April 13th, females being a little later than males in 

 appearance. E. exqiheno, var. eiipheiwides, in same situations as last, and 

 from same date; it is easily captured, often settling on crucifers ; females 

 later and scarcer. 



Leucopltasia sinajris, appeared first, April 18th, in open spaces in 

 woods; aberration erysimi, occasionally in May; and aberration lathyri, 

 nov? and then. 



Colias edusa, was common throughout April'and May, flying over wheat- 

 fields and sainfoin ; var. helice, sparingly. 



Goiiopteryx cleopatra, very common ; April and May. 



Thecla rubi, abundant in and near woods. 



Thestor hallus, locally common where wild thyme abounds, on sheltered 

 southern slopes, settling on the flowers or on leaves, or the ground ; 

 it occurred all through April. 



