8 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



hand, the last time being a wonderful day spent at Eclepens 

 in that fatal first week in August, 1914, when Germany had 

 just declared war on France and the rumblings of the European 

 holocaust had already sounded, and one wonders when one will 

 see those beautiful woods again, with their great profusion and 

 variety of insects. But to return to Witherslack, where I was 

 renewing an acquaintance of seven years before. 



On the "moss" itself, Coeno)iympha tiphon, var. philoxenus 

 was very abundant, the males generally a good deal worn, but 

 with care a good varied series of fine specimens was taken ; 

 the females were quite fresh and very line. There were not 

 many other species on the wing ; a few fresh C. pamphilus, 

 and odd specimens of Pieris ndpi, I think comprised all the 

 butterflies, but fine fresh Lasiocampa querais dashed wildly 

 about in the sun. and Diacrisia {Euthemmia) sannio males were 

 frequent, with one female. 



Early next morning I left Grange and went up to Winder- 

 mere by steamer, stopi^ing on the way to call on the Kev. 

 J. Euston Nurse, without whose kind help and assistance with 

 localities I should have had no chance of the success I had. 

 Erom Ambleside I had a ten -mile drive to the little hostel 

 at the head of the valley, where I proposed to stay for the 

 remaining three days of my leave, or rather two, as one whole 

 day would be taken up on the return journey to Eeading. 



That evening it was bitterly cold-, and heavy lowering clouds 

 coming up from the south-east made me very anxious for the 

 morrow, and my worst fears were realized when I woke early 

 the following morning to find it pouring in torrents ; however, 

 it was no good spending the day in the hotel, so I set forth up 

 the mountains at the back, to try, at any rate, and find the 

 special landmarks for the locality which I had had so carefully 

 described to me. 



About one o'clock the rain stopped, and a dense fog came on, 

 and when I arrived at what I expected would prove to be the 

 cassiope ground it was difiicult to see more than a few yards 

 ahead of one ; however, I stumbled on with my feelings at zero, 

 when I suddenly saw at my feet, clinging to a blade of grass, a 

 small black object ; this was, of course, Erebia epiphron var. 

 cassiope, and it proved on examination to be a perfectly fresh, 

 undamaged specimen, absolutely torpid, and only clinging to the 

 grass stalk by one leg. I then began a systematic search for 

 others, and presently, after an hour's very hard work, I had 

 collected six specimens. These I found by pulling apart the 

 tufts of grass, and concealed right down in the bottom of the 

 plants were the butterflies ; they appeared to be practically life- 

 less, and lay on their sides in the palm of my hand without 

 moving. This success proved that I was on the right ground at 

 any rate, and as the rain had now ceased and the fog a little 



