32 



Euchloc belia, sometimes called var. auso7iia, quite a novelty to me. 

 I captured some small male E. cardamines, which may be var. 

 turritis, but the only difference that I can see is merely one of size. 



We left Catania in the middle of May, and took up our residence 

 at Messina, at Villa Erasmo, with a lovely garden, and an acetylene 

 lamp out of doors, which attracted many moths, beetles, and other 

 insects. The mountain nearest is 3570 ft. high (Monte Antenna- 

 mare), and in a pine wood about 2000 ft. up I met with the weak- 

 flying Lepiidia sinapis. The next day we had a tropical downpour 

 of rain, which completely drowned them out. 



One of the commonest Sicilian butterflies is Colias edusa. It is 

 practically ubiquitous througliout the year, males, of course, pre- 

 dominating. A fresh brood appears in June ; and I took a lovely 

 specimen of var. lielice on Monte Cicci, near Messina, about 

 2000 ft. up. 



The type brimstone, Gonepteryx rhamni, is said to occur in Sicily, 

 but I have not seen it, nor has Ragusa. G. cleopatra is oftener seen 

 than caught, as it is a rapid flier. I and a friend captured a pair 

 between us at the Cemetery, Messina, May 31st. 



The VanessidcE are not nearly so conspicuous in Sicily as in the 

 south of England. I took one specimen of Aglais iirticcc, fresh out. 

 May 15th, on the Plain of Catania; one specimen oi Eugonia poly- 

 chloros, fresh out, June 12th, on Monte Cicci; and a series of 

 Pvrajneis atalanta, which is common all the year round, even in 

 December and January, when it frequents the rosemary blossoms at 

 sea level. Later in the year it flies about the stunted trees on the 

 summits of the lower hills. Another very common species is 

 Pyrameis cardid, in all waste places, and it is generally very much 

 worn. Similarly, it is difficult to get a decent specimen of Polygonia 

 egea, which loves to sun itself on the walls adjoining the torrent beds. 

 I managed to get one fair specimen, on Monte Cicci, June i8th ; 

 others I threw away. 



While staying in the cultivated district of Catania I met with only 

 one specimen of the fritillaries — Alelitica ciiixia. May 19th, at Cibali, 

 and failed to discover its headquarters. In the wild and uncultivated 

 country near Messina, where violets and heartsease grow in greater 

 abundance than I have seen elsewhere, some fritillaries abound, 

 Alelitcra didynia being, perhaps, the commonest, with its occasional 

 var. meridionalis ; but it is run very closely in numbers by Melitwa 

 afhalia, which seems to be generally distributed. The larger fritil- 

 laries appear to prefer the higher mountains, though later in the 

 summer worn specimens descend to the valleys. On Monte Cicci, 

 at an elevation of 2000 ft., I captured a lovely fresh specimen of 

 Dryas pa?idora (enough to take one's breath away), June 12th ; also 

 two equally beautiful specimens of Issoria lathona June 8th, 

 together with a series of Argyjinis niobe\2iX. eris. An afternoon with 

 these fritillaries is a delightful experience. 



I was not successful with the marbled whites. I missed a great 



