16 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



emerging, but became very common later. The specimens were 

 not so large as those I have taken at Digne and La Granja ; more 

 like the Rhone valley (Swiss) examples, but with the white line 

 and blue spot on the under side more pronounced. Thecla ilicis, 

 abundant, was generally worn ; and var. escidi perhaps commoner 

 still, but I did not find T. ilicis var. cerri. Of T. acacia I was 

 able to secure a few in fine condition and of large size ; still it 

 was very scarce, and considerably more alert than its congeners. 

 One is accustomed to see Plebeius argus {agon) very abundant at 

 times, but never have I seen anything like the multitude of this 

 little "Blue" extending over so wide an area. They fly in 

 numbers over the whole plateau, and hang from every grass 

 stem. The males were all of the form we expect in the south, 

 with shining silvery white under sides. The females showed 

 some variety. They were pretty evenly divided between all 

 brown forms, and others suffused in various degrees with blue, 

 but in many cases in both forms there is a very fine but strongly 

 defined white line on the upper side hind wing just before the 

 fringe. I sent one or two of these to Mr. Wheeler for inspection; 

 who writes : " The white line on the upper side hind wing is very 

 remarkable. I have only noticed it hitherto in medon, and it is 

 hardly so marked in any specimens I have ever seen, even of 

 that species." Of course, one effect of the white line is to throw 

 up the orange chevrons into greater prominence. The orange 

 in most cases (though not always) is continuous on both wings 

 almost to the costa of the fore wing. In one beautiful brown 

 specimen there is a series of small, but very distinct, blue spots 

 on the inner side of the orange marks, on the upper side hind 

 wing, faintly suggesting the marking of Orion var. ornata. One 

 other male aberration is destitute of all spots on the under side 

 of fore wings, including the discoidal, except the outer row, 

 thereby outdoing Icarus var. icarinus ; and in the lower wings 

 the three spots nearest the anal-angle are long and elongated. 



The next day I turned my steps towards the woods on the 

 east, especially one protected by a notice " Chasse Gardee " — 

 which I took not to exclude a butterfly net. Here I saw the first 

 of a coming shower of Gonepteryx cleopatra, a male. Last year, 

 by the way, I was rather surprised to see several females two or 

 three days before a male appeared. Melanargia syllius had been 

 not uncommon, but was much worn. The best thing was 

 Leosopis roboris which appeared in increasing numbers during 

 our stay. I saw no ash at Sainte Baume ; evidently the food- 

 plant here is oak ; some German authors give also privet, and 

 even elder. The specimens were finer than those of Digne, and 

 the species much more abundant. Brenthis hecate also began to 

 show itself on the edge of the wood, and B. dia was of 

 exceptionally large size. I also got a very nice banded male 

 of Melitcea athalia. All the athalia were dark, and very strongly 



