NOTES ON THE LEPIDOPTERA OF LA SAINTE BAUME. 61 



opinion, but it appears to be very local even where it exists.* 

 We found ifc restricted to quite a small space on the edge of the 

 wood which borders the north-east corner of the plateau before 

 beginning the descent to Nans. But its allies, A. macilentaria 

 and A. litigiosaria, are fairly commonly distributed over all the 

 neighbourhood, more particularly the former. From neither of 

 these could I pretend to distinguish it in flight ; but A. macilen- 

 taria, which is most like it on the upper side, is readily distin- 

 guished when caught by its dark strongly-marked under side. 

 A. determinata is not an active insect and is easily overlooked, 

 as it seems rarely to fly unless disturbed ; but like other 

 " waves," it is fond of lying spread out on a leaf — not, I think, 

 in the full sun, but rather close to the ground, and where longer 

 branches above afford a slight shade. In our experience, it was 

 always driven out of little stunted oak bushes ; whether it had 

 any closer connection with these than the fact they provided a 

 pleasant resting-place I cannot venture to suggest. From the 

 list of captures appended it will be seen that the Acidalids 

 proved a strong and interesting family in this region, while the 

 Larentids were remarkably few and ordinary. The Zygaenids 

 provided variety, but with the exception of Z. angelica and 

 Z. lonicercB could hardly be considered numerous. That almost 

 most beautiful "burnet" of all, Z. lavandulce, appeared only 

 separately on the road to Nans ; but on crossing the Col de 

 Bretagne, I found a large colony feasting on the flowers of 

 "hemp agrimony," or a plant like it, growing in a hollow by 

 the side of the Gemenos road. This, I think, is an unusual 

 occurrence, for at Bondol, where Z. lavandidce was more com- 

 mon, I always took it singly and generally on the wing. 

 Z. erythus, on the contrary, has the burnet- habit of congregating, 

 and was seldom seen alone, but had a restricted headquarters 

 of its own ; and gave its attentions to a tall wiry scabious with 

 little wizened flowers, which would have been justly despised in 

 any better watered land. Probably the more active habits of 

 lavandulce accounted for a difficulty in getting good specimens. 

 It seems also to be a slightly earlier species. The most remark- 

 able feature in *' moth-land," perhaps, was the extraordinary 

 quantity of three small species in the herbage of the plain of 

 Plan d'Aup. I have already remarked in a former paper on the 

 abundance of Rusticus cegon. But even more wonderful — espe- 

 cially in 1912 — was the enormous number of Acidalia sericeata 

 and A. decorata, disturbed in walking over the plateau; and 

 with them almost as many Crambus craterellus — the only 

 Crambiis observed, with the exception of two or three C. cumellus. 

 Among the " pugs," Mr. Prout has praise for Tephroclystia 



-'• An indirect but suggestive token of the rarity of A. determinata in 

 collections may be gathered from the fact that it is not offered for sale in 

 either the Staudinger, Bang-Haas, or Bartel price-lists. 



