Movements of Insects. 203 



seen coming up against the wind, which was now 

 blowing from the west. Doubtless I should never 

 have noticed them, if my attention had not been 

 drawn to them by this most fortunately situated 

 observer. There was no mistake about it ; count- 

 less numbers were steadily passing up the valley, 

 but whither they were going it was hopeless to 

 ascertain ; they did not seem to turn up the St. 

 Gotthard road, for I remarked them the whole 

 way up the valley to the foot of the Furka Pass 

 westwards. Frau Meyer, landlady of the hotel, 

 told me that she had once witnessed an extra- 

 ordinary flight of countless butterflies at Hos- 

 penthal ; but could not tell me the species. I 

 had myself previously noticed the tendency of 

 the Apollo butterfly at the Stein-alp to fly up the 

 pass every individual I saw being apparently 

 on his way upwards. And this was against an 

 east wind, close to a glacier, and on the iQth of 

 September ! 



The migrating birds, however, did not seem to 

 get any further up the valley than Hospenthal ; 

 and indeed at no point further up would they have 

 found a route into Italy so comparatively free from 



