NOTES ON A BUTTERFLY HUNT IN FRANCE IN 1910. 299 



They are divided from the tnain system of the Apennines by the 

 river Garigliano (the Liris of the ancients). Specimens were 

 submitted to Count Emilio Turati, of Milan, who has given this 

 form the name of aurimca. 



The most striking feature is the wide median line on the 

 upper side fore wing (fig. 1), but this is a variable character, and 

 occasionally it is much reduced, with a consequent darkening in 

 other parts of the wing (fig. 2). The ground colour is rather 

 pale yellow, the outer band fore wing and the hind wing being 

 more fulvous. The hind wing upper side also has a row of 

 bluish, submarginal, lunular markings, corresponding in this 

 respect with var. provincialis, Bsdv. Otherwise the appearance 

 of the upper side reminds one more of var. alexandrina, Stgn. 

 The under side is very similar to var. provincialis, Bsdv. The 

 males measure from 33-36 mm. in expanse, and the females 

 37-43 mm. 



When visiting Signore Querci, last year, I had the pleasure 

 of taking a fair number of specimens on Monte Petrella. 



NOTES ON A BUTTERFLY HUNT IN FRANCE 



IN 1910. 



I. — In the North-East. 



By H. Rowland-Brown, M.A., F.E.S. 



The May weather of the south-eastern and midland districts 

 of England had been so beautiful, the number of insects on the 

 wing so numerous, that it was with more than the ordinary 

 anticipation of favours to come that I set out for a summer 

 holiday in France towards the end of June with Mr. B. C. S. 

 Warren as my companion. 



Our first objective was the Forest of Samoussy, a fine tract of 

 State woodland in the Department of the Aisne, within a few 

 minutes railway travel of Laon, the second stopping place be- 

 tween Calais and Bale of the trans-continental expresses. A 

 perfect crossing, with sunshine and blue sky, just a passing 

 shower soon after landing, and a warm clear night filled with 

 stars, seemed to justify hopes of a successful chase on the 

 morrow. The small inn and "marine" store at which we had 

 engaged quarters is about ten minutes' walk from a siding in 

 the midst of the forest, and as "the domestic" wheeled our 

 bags and entomological impedimenta down a velvet-dark alley 

 of overhanging trees, we congratulated ourselves on the certainty 

 of meeting some at least of the numerous interesting species 

 detailed by Mr. W. G. Sheldon (Entom. xl., pp. 75-77, and 

 pp. 197-199), which, also on the authority of Mr. Henry Brown, 

 of Paris, are known to occur plentifully at Samoussy. But, alas ! 



2 a2 



