266 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 
was indicated: the heavily cultivated meadows and pastures 
strewn with occasional volcanic boulders; and, as the train 
laboured slowly up the steep gradient from Aurillac, accidental 
rocks and green-shouldered hills dignified by the name of moun- 
tains—the craters and cones of long-dead volcanoes. The country 
round Vic-sur-Cére, the only intermediate place of any import- 
ance, offers some good collecting-ground, as I found when I paid 
a day’s visit there on August 4th; but the bad first fortnight of 
July which had brought such execrable weather even thus far 
south did not apparently affect the emergence of the local species, 
and, although Polygonia c-album and Pamphila sylvanus were still 
fresh, Satyrus circe was already passé, as well as most commoner 
things—Pararge mera, &c. On the grassy slopes above the 
pretty village typical Melanargia galatea swarmed, and near a 
little spring, feeding quite a respectable cascade, I observed 
L. alcon, though never would the fast-flying males come within 
reach of the net. I mention these butterflies here because I did 
not meet with any of them except M. galatea higher up. 
Le Lioran (8780 ft.)—with its several ‘‘ Plombs,”’ and on the 
eastern declivity of the massive central group connecting 
Auvergne with Lozére—by situation and the altitude of its 
mountains running up to something over 6000 ft., had con- 
jured up visions of collecting by no means to be realized. I do 
not think I was ever in any. place presenting such attractive 
features, and so well adapted, climatically speaking, productive 
of poorer results in Lepidoptera; and Mr. Paulson, who was in 
the hotel collecting botanical specimens, informed me that the 
same state of things ruled among the flowers and plants, which 
disposed of the idea that the phenomenal first fortnight of 
July alone accounted for the dearth. Brooms of all kinds I 
regard with suspicion, where they flourish to the exclusion of 
other shrubs, for it is really surprising how very few butterflies 
appear to be attracted on the sunniest days and in the warmest 
localities even by the luscious scented golden blossoms of the 
larger species. Here the dwarf Genista sagittifera was ubiquitous 
in the pastures and upon the hill-footways of Upper Cantal, and 
appeared as distasteful to insects as to cattle. Otherwise the 
pleasant note of colour struck by the flowers of alpine meadows 
elsewhere was wanting; only the close-cropped green turf 
getting browner and more barren as it approached the summit 
of the mountains. 
My first day—in every respect an ideal day for collecting—I 
devoted to climbing the Plomb du Cantal, the highest peak, or 
rather cone, of the chain. The lower forests yielded practically 
nothing, except at one spot where a little spring had induced some 
growth of rank herbage. Here Melitea parthenie in twos and threes 
was flitting about, and occasional Chrysophanus virgauree, the 
males of which, now and thereafter, proved to be the commonest 
