SIX WEEKS AMONGST HUNGARIAN BUTTERFLIES. 251 



produced this luxuriance of individuals. Peszer is one of the few 

 spots which has probably alwaj'S been uncultivated, a remnant 

 of the old Pannonian Forest which once covered the whole of 

 the country ; the soil is of a warm sandy nature, and the 

 vegetation luxuriant and varied. 



Immediately on unfolding our nets we were confronted with 

 the difficulty, amidst such riches, of not knowing what to choose. 

 Swarms of Brentliis hecate, in perfect condition, hovered over 

 the grass, and B. hecate is not an easy species to ol)tain. A 

 series of it was therefore one of our first objects ; they were very 

 different to my Spanish examples, with much smaller blotches 

 on the upper side, and with the chestnut blotches and the mark- 

 ings generally on the under side of the hind wings much more 

 brilliant. The fine Chrysophanus alciphroii was almost equally 

 numerous, flitting about in the clearings and settling on the 

 flowers. A series of two dozen was soon secured, including nine 

 or ten females, and then one found that numerous Theclas were 

 flying round and settling on the oak bushes, presently identified 

 as Thecla acacice, the first time I had seen it alive, and T.ilicis ; 

 both of them in the finest condition. Melitcea trivia was 

 abundant, but going over, and good specimens required con- 

 siderable selection. Bright yellow Coliads flew wildly here and 

 there ; several I caught were certainly only Colias edusa, but 

 one I missed looked very like C. myrmidone, and was the only 

 example of the species I came across in Hungary, if it was it. 

 To the Skippers flitting briskly to and fro I had not much time 

 to devote ; but Hesperia carthami was abundant, also Pamphila 

 sylvanus, and either P. linea or P. lineola, or both ; Carcharodus 

 lavaterce was also not infrequent. 



Naturally we made a careful search for Melanargia var. 

 suwarovius, but with not much anticipation of success, for this 

 species has of late years become very rare at Peszer — the cumula- 

 tive bag for the last three years consisting, so far as I could 

 learn, of only seven examples, and our search was unsuccessful. 

 I may here mention that Professor Schmidt informed me on my 

 return to Budapest in July that M. var. suivarovius has not been 

 seen this year. 



Intending visitors to P6szer should note that it is Crown 

 property, and that a permit, difficult to obtain, has this year for 

 the first time been required ; and they should before going 

 enquire at the Budapest Museum, the authorities of which can, 

 and no doubt would, do their best to assist. 



On my return to Budapest on July 2ud I searched carefully 

 the capsules of Colutea arhorescens at Farkas Volgy for larvae of 

 Lyccena iolas, which I was informed should there be plentiful, 

 but without success ; probably the bad season was responsible 

 for the failure. 



(To be continued.) 



