266 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



was indicated : the heavily cultivated meadows and pastures 

 strewn with occasional volcanic boulders; and, as the train 

 laboured slowly up the steep gradient from Aurillac, accidental 

 rocks and green-shouldered hills dignified by the name of moun- 

 tains — the craters and cones of long-dead volcanoes. The country 

 round Vic-sur-Cere, the only intermediate place of any import- 

 ance, offers some good collecting-ground, as I found when I paid 

 a day's visit there on August 4th ; but the bad first fortnight of 

 July which had brought such execrable weather even thus far 

 south did not apparently affect the emergence of the local species, 

 and, although Polygonia c-alhum and Pamphila sylvanus were still 

 fresh, Satyrus circe was already passe, as well as most commoner 

 things — Pararge mara, &c. On the grassy slopes above the 

 pretty village typical Melanargia galatea swarmed, and near a 

 little spring, feeding quite a respectable cascade, I observed 

 L. alcon, though never would the fast-flying males come within 

 reach of the net. I mention these butterflies here because I did 

 not meet with any of them except M. galatea higher up. 



Le Lioran (3780 ft.) — with its several " Plombs," and on the 

 eastern declivity of the massive central group connecting 

 Auvergne with Lozere — by situation and the altitude of its 

 mountains running up to something over 6000 ft., had con- 

 jured up visions of collecting by no means to be realized. I do 

 not think I was ever in any place presenting such attractive 

 features, and so well adapted, climatically speaking, productive 

 of poorer results in Lepidoptera ; and Mr. Paulson, who was in 

 the hotel collecting botanical specimens, informed me that the 

 same state of things ruled among the flowers and plants, which 

 disposed of the idea that the phenomenal first fortnight of 

 July alone accounted for the dearth. Brooms of all kinds I 

 regard with suspicion, where they flourish to the exclusion of 

 other shrubs, for it is really surprising how very few butterflies 

 appear to be attracted on the sunniest days and in the warmest 

 localities even by the luscious scented golden blossoms of the 

 larger species. Here the dwarf Genista sagittifera was ubiquitous 

 in the pastures and upon the hill-footways of Upper Cantal, and 

 appeared as distasteful to insects as to cattle. Otherwise the 

 pleasant note of colour struck by the flowers of alpine meadows 

 elsewhere was wanting; only the close-cropped green turf 

 getting browner and more barren as it approached the summit 

 of the mountains. 



My first day — in every respect an ideal day for collecting — I 

 devoted to climbing the Plomb du Cantal, the highest peak, or 

 rather cone, of the chain. The lower forests yielded practically 

 nothing, except at one spot where a little spring had induced some 

 growth of rank herbage. Here Melitieaparthcnie in twos and threes 

 was flitting about, and occasional Chrysophanus virgaurece, the 

 males of which, now and thereafter, proved to be the commonest 



