37 



frequent visits to Gravitelli, I discovered its habits and captured a 

 long series. 



The vicinity of Calabria attracted me early in June, and I spent 

 three days in that practically unknown entomological district in 

 search of the local marbled white, Melanargia arge. It is a lovely 

 country, with extensive forests and beautiful valleys, with running 

 streams, while the high mountain (Montalto, 6500 ft.) makes the 

 gradients very steep. I was not lucky with AI. arge (I only brought 

 home three specimens), though I saw it in four separate localities. 

 I hope to repeat my visits to those localities, and to secure the 

 -advantage of a horse or mule to carry me over the first half of the 

 journey, as the walk both ways is too fatiguing. 



The month of June is the best month for butterflies in Sicily, for 

 although Syracuse and other places on the southern shores are then 

 dried up, the mountains on the north are in their prime. True, I 

 obtained some lovely specimens of Hipparehia statilinus at Syracuse 

 on June 13th, as they settled on the stone walls and took shelter 

 from a wind, which brought a sandstorm with it, but that good 

 fortune was exceptional. On my way back from Syracuse, I captured, 

 on the plain of Catania (June 14th), also taking shelter under pine 

 trees from the wind, several fresh examples of Satvnts circe, one of 

 the most striking of Sicilian butterflies. On the following day (June 

 15th) an entomological friend went with me to the favourite slopes 

 at Randazzo, where E. damone, female, was met with singly, also D. 

 pandora. Limenitis Camilla was flying up and down the glade of an 

 oak wood. The number of species occurring on the mountain side 

 was in marked contrast to those seen at Syracuse and near Catania 

 on previous days, and included Aporia cratccgi, nearly a month after 

 its first appearance, and other spring butterflies, more or less worn — 

 generally more so. 



N. ilicis was fresh out in numbers in the oak wood. Loweia 

 alciphron, var. gordiiis, -R. p/i/a'as, var. e/ens, and Z. dorilis represented 

 the Sicilian copper butterflies, and the blues were in full force. 

 Fararge vicera also appeared, and I paid some attention to the small 

 white butterflies high up the mountain away from the cabbage 

 gardens, as the specimens may belong to the variety or species 

 named /'/(?m manni ; certainly, the mountain specimens when placed 

 side by side with other small whites captured almost at sea-level, 

 where cabbages abound, differ in colour and slightly in the shape 

 of the fore-wings. 



As June advances the heat becomes very great in the middle of 

 the day at Messina, and I found it even worse in Calabria, especially 

 at Reggio, where that grand emperor butterfly, Charaxes jasius, was 

 scattered about the lemon gardens. In a whole day I saw from a 

 dozen to a score of specimens, but failed to capture one, as they 

 generally fly just out of reach, and the gardens are enclosed. 



My last day's collecting in Sicily was Wednesday, June 22nd, and 

 it proved to be one of the most profitable during my stay. There 



