NOTES ON A BUTTEKFLY HUNT IN FRANCE IN 1910. 323 



But there were no fire-flies as I have seen them even higher up 

 at St. Martin-Vesubie, and an extraordinary absence of Noctuids 

 round the many electric lights. The restaurant of the hotel opened 

 at the back upon an extremely Italian arcaded market- square, 

 where three times a week a brisk business was done in silkworm 

 cocoons, piled waist-high in primrose-coloured pyramids under 

 the arches, and the gay umbrellas of the merchants. 



In the late sunlight a few Polygonia egea were still fanning 

 their wings on the roadway. The Diptera of Pierrelatte were, 

 however, pleasantly conspicuous by their absence, and I may 

 add that never once in the whole of July did we suffer the 

 torment and inconvenience which in normal seasons the collector 

 in the Midi may not hope to escape. We counted no fewer than 

 fifty species of butterflies next day — June 29th — on our first 

 expedition, following up the well-wooded, bamboo-fringed stream 

 which falls into the main river half a mile, perhaps, away across 

 the Roman bridge on the left bank. Again we encountered isolated 

 examples of P. egea, and there was a long torrid wall facing the 

 sun which we presently found to be much affected by this hand- 

 some "Comma." Yet it is a very hard butterfly to catch, and 

 after many years' collecting I have still but a meagre series of 

 decent specimens. 



Following the watercourse amid luscious scented brooms and 

 tall green rushes, we found a few battered Melitaa deione of the 

 first brood, and evidently almost ended. Coenonympha arcaiiia, 

 in contradistinction to the Samoussy race, was but freshly 

 emerged, while Hesperia sao, Thymelicus actceon, and T. lineola 

 were in the pink of condition. M. athalia, much lighter than 

 those of the north, was also common, and most abundant of all 

 Pi,usticus (Eg 071 ; while of the other "blues," P. bellargus was nearly 

 over, P. hylas, males and females superb, with equally resplendent 

 P. escheri. And then the surprises began, Mr. Warren, who was 

 in front, bidding me come and look at a wonderful Swallowtail 

 which had fallen to his net. This was, of course, Papilio 

 alexanor, though I could hardly believe my eyes ; while a minute 

 later I was busy with a perfectly fresh male example of Epinephele 

 pasipha'e, presently found to be one of the commonest butterflies 

 on the wing — all the more remarkable because at Hyeres pasiphae 

 is an early May insect, and here were we on the threshold of 

 July ! After this I was prepared for anything in the way of true 

 southern species, but still not for the two females of that loveliest 

 of Lycaenids, Lycana tolas, secured by Mr. Warren, nor for the 

 single Polyommatus admetus var. rippiertii, the only one met with 

 in the Drome, which I took from a spike of lavender. 



Evidently L. iolas only wants looking for to turn up in a 

 much wider area than it is now known to inhabit in France. 

 Between its most northerly habitat in the well-known Sierre 

 locality and the Colutea-c\3id slopes of Digne, the heaths of Aix- 



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