butterflies of the French Pyrenees. 387 



more settled, and the climate, though hotter, not more 

 oppressive than that of the low valleys in the Western 

 and Central Pyrenees. Though the elevation of the 

 village is only 2000 feet, and the character of the 

 immediate neighbourhood somewhat dry and arid, yet, 

 by riding or walking up the valley, at the foot of which 

 Vernet lies, you soon get into woods and pastures of an 

 alpine character, and have less distance to go to the 

 good collecting spots than at any of the other places 

 which I visited, except Gavarnie. 



The species found at Vernet are a curious mixture of 

 Mediterranean forms, such as Rhodocera Cleopatra, 

 Anthocharis euphenoides and Thais medesicaste, with purely 

 alpine and arctic ones, such as Colias phicomone, Lyccena 

 orbitulus, Erebra Lappona, and Argynnis pales. It 

 would be possible to take all these in a single day by 

 ascending about 4000 feet. 



Though some of the more southern forms were over 

 or past their best when I arrived, yet I think the month 

 of July, or from June 15th to July 15th, is the best 

 month all round for collecting, and, though a few species, 

 such as Erebia neoridas and E. pitho, do not appear till 

 later ; yet I got almost all the Rhopalocera that Ober- 

 thiir, Struve, and De Graslin collected in the course of 

 several years. The Heterocera, of course, I could not 

 hope to do much with in so short a time, though I took 

 many interesting species, and have no doubt that much 

 remains to be learnt of those which frequent the higher 

 elevations, which, owing to the difficulty of getting 

 tolerable quarters, have been comparatively neglected by 

 all collectors. If Messrs. Oberthur carry out their 

 intention of building a chalet at about 6000 feet, they 

 will be well repaid both by night and by day; but, 

 strange to say, not a single high mountain inn of the 

 class so common in the Alps is yet to be found in the 

 Pyrenees, and one must take one's choice of a long ride 

 up the mountain and down again at night, or of lying 

 out in some of the few and dirty chalets which exist at 

 or above 5000 feet. 



After spending twelve days at Vernet, we went on to 

 Bagneres de Luchon, where the weather was very 

 unsettled during the seven days we remained, and, 

 though I lost no chance of working the higher ground, I 

 had several days spoilt by heavy thunderstorms and 



