NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS. 133 



were black with larvae of Vanessa urticce, perhaps the effects of a 

 migration, and nests of larvas of the Sicilian Lackey Moth. Clisio- 

 campa franconica were very numerous, there were thousands of 

 larvae almost ready to scatter. (Is this a biennial? it was common 

 in 1910 at Messina.) On April 9th the sun succeeded in making its 

 appearance in the forenoon, and at once butterflies appeared in every 

 direction, all in lovely condition. They included Thais polyxena, 

 Euchloe damone, and" of course cardamines and blues and whites. 

 Unfortunately the sunshine lasted little over an hour, and was 

 followed by clouds and a gale of wind, which quickly transformed 

 the roads into a cloud of dust and ashes. Next day the gale 

 continued, so I started back to Messina by the Circum-Etna 

 Railway. Eight miles from Eandazzo, near the village of Sollichiata, 

 the eruption of Mount Etna in 1911 had destroyed the railway track 

 for about half a mile, and passengers had to detrain at Sollichiata, 

 and walk over the lava stream of still heated ashes, and on to the 

 next station — Castiglione — a distance of two and a half miles. With 

 true Sicilian dilatoriness, no provision had then been made to fit in 

 trains, and ours being an hour late, we found that the forenoon train 

 had departed, and we had six hours to wait for the next train. 

 (Later this was remedied.) Fortunately the wind was at our backs, 

 and the road all down hill, so I decided to walk to the nearest 

 station on the main line — Fiumefreddo, Sicilia — some ten or a dozen 

 miles, and was fortunate just to catch a train. What with the 

 reddish dust of the roads and the black ashes of the lava stream, I 

 had the appearance of a Red Indian, and I felt no desire to visit the 

 Sahara. 



Showery weather and the scirocco kept me indoors at Messina 

 until April 14th, when a sunny morning tempted me up the nearest 

 torrent-bed to the Cataract (Cattarati), a fine sight after the rain. I 

 followed the gorge to the top of the hill (3000 ft.) and returned 

 through the pine wood (the Bosco) and down the adjoining torrent- 

 bed (Cammari). Butterflies were scarce after the rain, but those 

 taken were in excellent condition, and included Euchloe ausonia and 

 cardamines. The lovely views from the hill and in the rocky gorges 

 made ample amends for the fatigue of the journey. 



My favourite short walk near Messina is to Gravitelli, where 

 there is a rocky gorge that rivals the dripping well at Knares- 

 borough, and the Emperor butterfly Gharaxes jasius is sometimes 

 common on the slopes in June. On April 16th and 19th I searched 

 the Arbutus bushes close to a sohtary pine tree that dominates the 

 gorge, and obtained four larvae ; apparently the larva spins a white 

 silken web on the upper side of a leaf, either for Jiibernation or at its 

 last moult. Larvae of Lasiocampa (Boinbyx) quercus like to sun 

 themselves on the same plant, and in the gorge Vanessa egea flies 

 rapidly ; I caught one good specimen, and Leucophasia sinapis was 

 very plentiful. 



With improved weather, I ventured to repeat my week-end visit 

 to Eandazzo, stopping during Sunday at Taormina, the most lovely 

 health resort of Sicily. Once more luck was against me, and the 

 grand view of Mount Etna from the Greek theatre at Taormina was 

 denied us, and in its place was nothing but mist. I stopped three 



