A BUTTERFLY HUNT IN SOME PARTS OF UNEXPLORED FRANCE, 13 



the gracious influence of the sun. Above, a mist still hung over 

 the topmost cairn surmounting the tunnel. Three thousand 

 feet below lay Die glittering in the sun, and the sound of the 

 bells of the incoming diligence, mingling with those of the 

 herds on the dewy hill-pastures, was borne upwards with 

 the wind of the morning which is the breath of Provence. An 

 hour or so, with hot coffee and rolls, in the still chilly 

 " gazebo " of the Kefuge, and the sun was on the Col itself, and 

 presently, as we moved downwards, the limestone ravines be- 

 came alive with Erebia stygne, Parnassms apollo, and Satyrus 

 cordula, Argynnis adippe, Issoria lathonia, S. alcyone ; and in the 

 lavender region " Blues " battling with the strong wind which 

 now blew up thick clouds of dust until we were all as white as 

 any Pierid of them all. Lower down, where the lavender and 

 wild-thyme were in full blossom, Colias edusa put in an appear- 

 ance ; and I noted the first Chrysophanus alciphron var. gordius 

 males, gleaming like jewels on the purple spikes of bloom with 

 azure A. tlietis, P. hylas and A. escJieri, the richly-purpled 

 **Blue" flying with them, being no doubt that latest of 

 rediscovered Lycsenids, Agriades thersites, though I did not 

 recognize it at the time. I had hardly reached Die railway 

 station, however, when a whirlwind of dust, precursor of a 

 thunder shower, of exceptional violence enveloped me ; and grate- 

 ful, indeed, was the rain upon the parched Avenue du Chemin 

 de Fer, as I endured it for a half hour in a fly-haunted, frowsy 

 restaurant, before the train — the slowest "omnibus" surely 

 that ever crept — bore me away to Veynes, and late in a warm 

 night, now " full of stars," to Digne of many pleasant memories, 

 entomological and otherwise. 



List of Khopalocera taken and observed at Villars-de- 

 Lans (Isere), and in the Vercors (Drome): — G. G.=:Grands 

 Goulets. G. IB. = Gorges de la Bourne. La Ch. = La Chapelle- 

 en-Vercors. — Hesperia alveus, La Ch. ; Aiigiades sylvanus ; 

 Thymelicus lineola, T. flavus ; Chrysophanus dorilis var. sub- 

 alpina, G. B. ; C. virgaurecs, Villard, C. alciphron var. gordius, 

 above Die ; Lyccena arion, La Ch., G. B. ; Cupido minimus, 

 Villard, La Ch. ; Aricia medon, G. B., La Ch. ; Polyommatus 

 icarus, P. hylas, La Ch. ; Agriades escheri, above Die; A. corydon, 

 Pont-en-Koyans, A. thetis, and probably A. thersites, south side 

 Col de Rousset; Plebeius argus, G. B., La Ch. ; Celastrina argiolus. 

 La Ch. ; Thecla ilicis, T. spini, G. G., La Ch. ; Papilio poda- 

 lirius, G. G., P. rnachaon, Villard ; Parnassius apollo, above 

 Pont-en-Eoyans, G. G., LaCh., Col de Rousset; Aporia cratcegi; 

 Pieris brassicce, P. rapce, P. napi, G. B. ; Euchloe cardaniines, 

 G. B. ; Leptidia sinapis, Colias phicomone. La Ch. ; C. hyale, 

 C. edusa. Col de Rousset ; Gonepteryx rhamni, G. G., La Ch. ; 

 Pyrameis atalanta, P. cardui ; Vanessa io. La Ch. ; Aglais urticce, 

 Eugonia polychloros, G. G. ; Pararge mcera, P. hiera, G. B., 



