6 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



than anytbing I had ever seen, with the hedges on either side 

 of the road for miles far out into the country of garden roses 

 covered with bloom, at the roots of which Convolvulus major and 

 sweet pea grew in extravagant luxuriance ; and though the 

 meadows were golden with orange marigolds, in this perfect 

 wilderness of flowers butterflies of all kinds were conspicuous 

 by their absence ; indeed, I scarcely saw any, except one fine 

 male specimen of Lyccena cyllarus, and a few Euchloe belia var. 

 ausonia, or rather what appeared to me more nearly to approach 

 the var. simplonia, being identical with some specimens belong- 

 ing to that variety I had taken on the Becca di Nonna, near 

 Aosta, about this time last year. 



At Morreale I found a stream where E. cardamines var. 

 turritis was common, but manj'' of the specimens were rather 

 worn. It is supposed to be entirely represented by this variety 

 throughout Sicily, but I must confess my inabihty to see that it 

 differed very materially from the type. 



Before I left Palermo Signor Eagusa kindly gave me some 

 information respecting other Sicilian species, notably those 

 of the genus Melcmargia. M. arge, he stated, did not occur at 

 all in Sicily, but seemed to represent lyherusa on the mainland, 

 i. e., the mountains in Calabria, occurring about the same time. 

 M. jajnigia and the var. cleanthe, he said I would find common in 

 several localities during the months of June and July. 



After having paid a hurried visit to Girgenti, to see the 

 ruined temples, the next place in which I found myself was 

 Syracuse ; but windy weather made it most unfavourable for 

 collecting. 



I have since heard that a local variety of M. galatea occurs 

 about five miles from Syracuse, and I am fully persuaded that it 

 was my luck to sec this butterfly on the wing, at a place called 

 Euryelos (about five miles inland). It was flying over about the 

 most inaccessible ground I have ever yet encountered. I only 

 saw from three to four specimens, always on the wing; moreover, 

 I was not alone that morning, but limited to the time Herr 

 Giiterbock was pleased to occupy in looking at some old Grecian 

 remains in the irumediate vicinity, and, to make a long story 

 short, I did not succeed in netting one single specimen; thinking 

 also tbat it was only the typical galatea, and, indeed, had I known 

 otherwise, I fear Herr Giiterbock would have been obliged to 

 find a more prolonged interest in his Grecian remains. 



After five days at Syracuse, I next visited Taormina, where 

 I had some idea of settling for the summer. For, that so 

 beautiful a spot could fail to produce good collecting-ground 

 seemed to me impossible ; my experience having ever led me to 

 seek for these insects of hght and sunshine in haunts the most 

 beautiful and attractive, from the stern grandeur of the high 

 Alps of Switzerland to tbe sunny, flowery valleys of the Eiviera. 



