224 



THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



As far as I could make out three T. medisicaste var. honoratii had 

 been taken this year ; Cotte himself had taken a magnificent 

 male three days before I arrived. Small larvae were fairly com- 

 mon on the Aristolochia, basking on the leaves of the plants in 

 the hot sue. 



On the 17th, at the foot of the rocks of Les Dourbes, after a 

 very hot climb through the thick beech wood, I found Parnassius 

 mnemosyne ; males were abundant, but only two females, all in 

 very fresh order ; and also, in magnificently fresh condition, 

 flying a little higher up, Erebia stygne was common. Here also 

 Polyommatus eumedon was plentiful, rather a small form, and 

 only just emerged. One was a very interesting aberration ; the 

 under side was of a very pale grey colour, and almost devoid of 

 eye-spots on the fore wings, while on the lower wings the wedge- 

 shaped mark was wanting, and the row of black dots was reduced 

 to two black pin-pricks. Flying here also were a lot of fresh 

 Gonopteryx rhamni, Nemeobius lucina (in much better condition 

 than lower down), a few Argynnis adippe and B. euphrosyne, with 

 occasional Euchloe cardamines, Colias hyale, and a single Erebia 

 evias. 



On the way down, near the little village of Villars, I saw, in 

 the hay-fields, Pajnlio podalirius, and found several half- grown 

 larvae of this species on small almond trees ; Pontia daplidice, L. 

 avion, R. argus, Melanargia galatea, and a sprinkling of "bur- 

 nets," Zygoma radamanthus, a few worn Z. lavandulce, and two 

 other species at present not identified. On the arid hills below 

 Villars I saw hardly anything, but the little epistygne wood near 

 the bridge was alive with butterflies ; specially abundant were 

 L. bellargus and L. corydon, with a good many L. hylas, and I 

 also noted L. duponcheli, Polyommatus escheri, Loweia dorilis, 

 M. phcebe, M. athalia (just out), M. didyma, and a few Parage 

 egeria. 



On June. 18th Papilio alexanor made its appearance, and I 

 took a fine male near the baths, and another later in the day 

 nearer Digne, both off thistle-heads, for which it has a well- 

 known predilection ; its food-plant {Sesili montanum) still, at this 

 date, was barely showing above the ground. In the little fields 

 beyond the baths and by the Eaux Thermales insects were 

 beginning to be abundant ; the two previous days of rain had 

 brought things out wonderfully. A. adippe was becoming com- 

 mon, a second brood of Brenthis dia was appearing, while C. 

 arcania, which was plentiful, was beginning to look the worse for 

 wear. C. lavaterce, L. dorilis, E. argiades, Theclailicis, P. apollo, 

 P. daplidice (very abundant), were all noted, besides many com- 

 moner species. 



My last day at Digne (the 19th) was chiefly spent in the 

 little lateral valley running into the Eaux Thermales ; here I took 

 another P. alexanor and two Brenthis daphne, just emerged. It 



