FIVE WEEKS IN THE VOSGES. 117 
very difficult to approach. A gleam of purple wings and he was 
one. So long as the sun shone I saw a considerable number 
of both the Apturids I was in search of, but they circled round 
the tree-tops quite out of reach, and on their occasional descents 
to earth were too cautious to come within reach of the net, 
approach one never so gently. However, after a great deal of 
running about in the hot sun, two A. iris and one A. ilia var. 
clyte were secured, and a pair of Pararge achine disturbed from 
the hedgerow. A worn female Limenitis sibylla was ovipositing 
on the honeysuckle, and about a dozen eggs rewarded my search, 
but they all proved infertile. Unfortunately, the elements were 
fickle and rain soon began to fall again. Shelter was found 
under a tree, but as there were no signs of clearing up, I reluc- 
tantly abandoned hope and made the best of my way back to 
Charmes, where, after a three miles walk, I found an hotel with 
an English-speaking landlord, a rara avis in these small French 
towns. Jain continued to descend steadily for the greater part 
of the afternoon, so that there was nothing to be done except sit 
in the cafe, where I found another weather-bound traveller 
engaged in entomological pursuits. He was a fisherman, and 
was beguiling the time catching flies which he wrapped carefully 
up in paper to use ag bait. A few turns of my net got him as 
many specimens of Musca domestica as he wanted. Between 
three and four o’clock, as it cleared up a little, 1 determined to 
again try my luck. This time I took another road to the forest, 
only to get a few Hveres argiades, Cupido minima, Lycena arion, 
and Leptosia sinapis, the two former insects being found at rest 
on the broom, a rather curious resting habit for insects with 
such light and therefore conspicuous under sides to adopt, 
because it makes them very clearly visible from a distance, 
hanging from the dark green shoots of the genista. On the way 
to Rambervillers, where the night was spent, I noticed fine 
stretches of woodland, and the next morning returned a few 
miles along the line, but hardly had I left the train and got into 
the forest than a heavy shower fell, which spoiled my chances of 
finding many insects on the wing. Everything was so wet that 
I got on to the line and walked along the permanent way until 
I came to an inviting-looking green lane where the capture of a 
butterfly entirely fresh to the list in the shape of Hnodia dryas, 
male, rewarded my exertions. Vain was the search for other 
specimens, but the morning’s work resulted in the acquisition of 
two Pararge achine, two Cenonympha arcania, two Brenthis dia, 
two Everes argiades, and single specimens of Limenitis sibylla, 
and Thecla ilicis var. cerri, with a few flies of lesser note, 
making a total of fourteen in all. It was not until July 29th 
that I was able to do any more entomological work at Charmes, 
but the story of that expedition may well be told here. Behind 
the town to the east rises a hill which is a landmark for the 
