FIVE WEEKS IN THE VOSGES. 117 



very difficult to approach. A gleam of purple wings and he was 

 gone. So long as the sun shone I saw a considerable number 

 of both the Apturids I was in search of, but they circled round 

 the tree-tops quite out of reach, and on their occasional descents 

 to earth were too cautious to come within reach of the net, 

 approach one never so gently. However, after a great deal of 

 running about in the hot sun, two A. iris and one A. ilia var. 

 clyte were secured, and a pair of Pararge achine disturbed from 

 the hedgerow. A worn female Limenitis sibylla was ovipositing 

 on the honeysuckle, and about a dozen eggs rewarded my search, 

 but they all proved infertile. Unfortunately, the elements were 

 fickle and rain soon began to fall again. Shelter was found 

 under a tree, but as there were no signs of clearing up, I reluc- 

 tantly abandoned hope and made the best of my way back to 

 Charmes, where, after a three miles walk, I found an hotel with 

 an English-speaking landlord, a rara avis in these small French 

 towns. Eain continued to descend steadily for the greater part 

 of the afternoon, so that there was nothing to be done except sit 

 in the cafe, where I found another weather-bound traveller 

 engaged in entomological pursuits. He was a fisherman, and 

 was beguiling the time catching flies which he wrapped carefully 

 up in paper to use as bait. A few turns of my net got him as 

 many specimens of Musca domestica as he wanted. Between 

 three and four o'clock, as it cleared up a little, I determined to 

 again try my luck. This time I took another road to the forest, 

 only to get a few Everes argiades, Ciipido minima, Lyccena arion, 

 and Leptosia sinapis, the two former insects being found at rest 

 on the broom, a rather curious resting habit for insects with 

 such light and therefore conspicuous under sides to adopt, 

 because it makes them very clearly visible from a distance, 

 hanging from the dark green shoots of the genista. On the way 

 to Rambervillers, where the night was spent, I noticed fine 

 stretches of woodland, and the next morning returned a few 

 miles along the line, but hardly had I left the train and got into 

 the forest than a heavy shower fell, which spoiled my chances of 

 finding many insects on the wing. Everything was so wet that 

 I got on to the line and walked along the permanent way until 

 I came to an inviting-looking green lane where the capture of a 

 butterfly entirely fresh to the list in the shape of Enodia dryas, 

 male, rewarded my exertions. Vain was the search for other 

 specimens, but the morning's work resulted in the acquisition of 

 two Pararge achine, two Ccenonympha arcania, two Brenthis dia, 

 two Everes argiades, and single specimens of Limenitis sibylla, 

 and Thecla ilicis var. cerri, with a few flies of lesser note, 

 making a total of fourteen in all. It was not until July 29th 

 that I was able to do any more entomological work at Charmes, 

 but the story of that expedition may well be told here. Behind 

 the town to the east rises a hill which is a landmark for the 



