COLLECTING NEAR VIENNA AND IN AUSTRIAN TYROL. 153 



of a long plod back through dripping woods and soaked to the 

 skin. The afternoon, however, brightened, and as I got back to the 

 lucilla ground the sun shone out once more. Here, now, I found 

 Araschnia levana-prorsa, of which I have bred many in the past, 

 but had never yet encountered the summer brood upon the wing. 

 It was evidently just emerging, but is very easily lost in pursuit 

 against the dark background of the trees. I got back to the 

 extremely comfortable inn at Wolfsberg, kept for generations by 

 the Pfundner family, about eight, and for the next three days 

 (20th-22nd) collecting was impossible, though I made a start 

 for the Kor Alpe on the 21st, at six a.m., to be a second time 

 driven back by wind and weather. In the afternoon, however, 

 I had the great pleasure of visiting Herr Gabriel Hofner, and 

 going through his fine local collections, which are especially rich 

 in Micros. He told me that all the big "Blues" of the Lyccena 

 group are common in the Lavantthal, and both L. areas and 

 L. euphemus in the immediate neighbourhood of the town. My 

 one day on the Sau Alpe produced, among other commoner 

 species, the following Rhopalocera : — 



Adopcea lineola and A. thaumas ; Heodes virgaurete, Chryso- 

 phanus phlcsas ; Lyccena avion, Cupido minimus, Nomiades semi- 

 argus ; Leptosia sinapis, Colias eclusa, C. hyale (in the plain) ; 

 Apatura iris, Lime?iitis Camilla, L. sibylla, Neptis lucilla, Arasch- 

 nia levana-prorsa, Polygonia c-album, Dryas paphia, Argynnis 

 adippe, Aphantopus hyperanthus (one fine example of ab. arete) ; 

 Erebia epiphron var. cassiope, E. ligea, E. cethiops, and Cceno- 

 nympha satyrion — a meagre list, and by no means representative 

 of the splendid lepidopterous fauna of the district. 



July 23rd being no improvement on its predecessors, I made 

 tracks for the Brenner, and took up my quarters once more at 

 the Post Hotel, which I found (in the dependence) much im- 

 proved in every respect. Since I was there in 1904, the whole 

 mountain side on the opposite bank of the little stream has 

 changed in character. The forests have been felled in many 

 places ; the paths I knew have disappeared, while finger-posts 

 indicate the chief routes for tourists on the climb. I spent four 

 days at Brenner— all save the first wet— but on July 24th I took 

 and saw more butterflies in three hours than upon the whole of 

 the tour of six weeks put together, with the exception of that 

 one memorable day outside Vienna, at the Rohrwald. For the 

 rest it was bitterly cold, and the wind terrific at times. The 

 Erebias were common as ever ; Erebia pharte females, rather 

 worn ; typical E. prono'c females in very fine condition. On the 

 Col below the Wolfendorn Melitcea asteria was fairly plentiful, and 

 M. cynthia just emerging ; and hereabouts I also took, for the 

 first time at Brenner, Hesperia andromedce, and, lower down, 

 H. cacalice (common). The two Alpine "Blues," Polyommatus 

 eros and P. pheretes, were quite common ; P. optilete rather less 



