DISTRIBUTION OF THE EHOPALOCERA. 207 



long time, so that grave fears were entertained lest the grape 

 crop should prove a failure on account of the insufficiency of the 

 necessary amount of sunshine. Butterflies were as a con- 

 sequence, with a few exceptions, neither in the best of condition 

 nor very plentiful, at least as regards the number of indi- 

 viduals was concerned, but I managed to meet with a fair 

 number of species considering ; thus the total that I saw was 

 seventy-seven, while the sum-total actually captured amounted 

 to seventy-four, without counting varieties and aberrations. 



The two headquarters of the alpine Khopalocera fauna, as 

 well as that of the alpine flora, is at Gavarnie and Heas, namely, 

 in the Cirque de Gavarnie and the Cirque de Troumouse re- 

 spectively, both of which localities I visited. The scenery, 

 especially at that of the former place, is superb in the superla- 

 tive degree. Every evening during my stay at Gavarnie — after 

 a hard day's work among rocks and bushes on the rugged moun- 

 tain slopes in search of butterflies — I went off to witness the 

 magnificent spectacle of the sunset on the snow-clad summits 

 surrounding the Cirque, or to obtain a near view of the wonder- 

 ful "Cascade," the second highest waterfall in Europe, 1266 ft. 

 in altitude, to which I felt attracted almost as if by a magnet. 

 The best view of the celebrated Cirque is to be had about two 

 miles along on the Bucharo Pass or Port de Gavarnie, from the 

 summit of which, about 7500 ft. in elevation, a good view can 

 also be obtained over the Spanish side of the chain. 



The Cirque de Troumouse is also a most romantic spot, 

 surrounded by gigantic snow-clad peaks, from the glaciers of 

 which descend numerous waterfalls and torrents in all directions. 

 In this lonely and wild locality the peculiar bleat of the chamois 

 can constantly be heard from among the rocks which it so much 

 resembles in colour, while high overhead vultures and eagles 

 occasionally will be seen on outstretched wings soaring round 

 some lofty crag, or wheeling in circles at immense altitudes 

 in the air, and gliding along in the most graceful manner 

 imaginable. 



Upon several occasions I climbed above the clouds, and to 

 my great delight found, as it were, a new world awaiting me, 

 with butterflies flying about in the bright sunshine, while down 

 below, many hundreds of feet, they were all wrapped in sleep 

 beneath the nubiferous pall-like canopy. Only those who have 

 experienced it can possess any conception of the excessive 

 pleasure it is to be butterfly-hunting among these snow-clad 

 mountains when there is an azure-blue sky overhead, and the 

 snow-fields and glaciers glitter and shine like diamonds all 

 around. 



The scenery at the lower elevations is also very magnificent. 

 All along by the side of the road usually runs a roaring torrent, 

 locally known as a "gave," which rushes and foams among 



s2 



