A BUTTERFLY HUNT IN SOME PARTS OF UNEXPLORED FRANCE. 13 
the gracious influence of the sun. Above, a mist still hung over 
the topmost cairn surmounting the tunnel. Three thousand 
feet below lay Die glittering in the sun, and the sound of the 
bells of the incoming diligence, mingling with those of the 
herds on the dewy hill-pastures, was borne upwards with 
the wind of the morning which is the breath of Provence. An 
hour or so, with hot coffee and rolls, in the still chilly 
*‘ cazebo’’ of the Refuge, and the sun was on the Col itself, and 
presently, as we moved downwards, the limestone ravines be- 
came alive with Hrebia stygne, Parnassius apollo, and Satyrus 
cordula, Argynnis adippe, Issoria lathonia, S. alcyone; and in the 
lavender region ‘‘ Blues” battling with the strong wind which 
now blew up thick clouds of dust until we were all as white as 
any Pierid of them all. Lower down, where the lavender and 
wild-thyme were in full blossom, Colzas edusa put in an appear- 
ance ; and I noted the first Chrysophanus alciphron var. gordius 
males, gleaming like jewels on the purple spikes of bloom with 
azure A, thetis, P. hylas and A. escheri, the richly-purpled 
“Blue” flying with them, being no, doubt that latest of 
rediscovered Lycenids, Agriades thersites, though I did not 
recognize it at the time. [ had hardly reached Die railway 
station, however, when a whirlwind of dust, precursor of a 
thunder shower, of exceptional violeace enveloped me ; and grate- 
ful, indeed, was the rain upon the parched Avenue du Chemin 
de Fer, as I endured it for a half hour in a fly-haunted, frowsy 
restaurant, before the train—the slowest ‘“‘omnibus”’ surely 
that ever crept—bore me away to Veynes, and late in a warm 
night, now ‘‘ full of stars,” to Digne of many pleasant memories, 
entomological and otherwise. 
List or RHOPALOCERA TAKEN AND OBSERVED AT VILLARS-DE- 
Lans (IshrE), aND IN THE VeERcorS (Droéme):—G. G.=Grands 
Goulets. G.B.= Gorges dela Bourne. La Ch. = La Chapelle- 
en-Vercors.—Hesperia alveus, La Ch.; Augiades sylvanus ; 
Thymelicus lineola, T. flavus; Chrysophanus dorilis. var. sub- 
alpina, G.B.; C. virgauree, Villard, C. alciphron var. gordius, 
above Die; Lycena arion, La Ch., G. B.; Cupido minimus, 
Villard, La Ch.; Aricia medon, G. B., La Ch.; Polyommatus 
icarus, P. hylas, La Ch.; Agriades escheri, above Die; A. corydon, 
Pont-en-Royans, A. thetis, and probably A. thersites, south side 
Col de Rousset; Plebeius argus, G. B., La Ch.; Celastrina argiolus, 
La Ch.; Thecla ilicis, T. spini, G. G., La Ch.; Papilio poda- 
lirius, G. G., P. machaon, Villard; Parnassius apollo, above 
Pont-en-Royans, G. G., LaCh., Col de Rousset; Aporia crategi; 
Pieris brassice, P. rape, P. napi, G. B.; Huchloé cardamines, 
G. B.; Leptidia sinapis, Colias phicomone, La Ch.; C. hyale, 
C. edusa, Col de Rousset ; Gonepteryx rhamni, G.G., La Ch. ; 
Pyrameis atalanta, P. cardui ; Vanessa io, La Ch.; Aglais urtice, 
Eugonia polychloros, G. G.; Pararge mera, P. hiera, G. B., 
