38 



was a gentle breeze blowing, which tempered the heat of the sun. 

 I got up early, took my lunch, a full flask, and some lemons — as 

 water is obtainable more than half-way up the mountains, while 

 restaurants are missing. The special object of my search was 

 Lihythea celtis. Butterflies were in abundance, but no celtis appeared. 

 The top of Monte Cicci is a favourite spot for the larger butter- 

 flies, and flying round the topmost tree was a grand specimen of 

 Chafaxes Jasws, which I secured ; also a couple of S. circe, which 

 repeatedly settled on the topmost trunk to sun themselves. On the 

 eastern slope of the mountain C. seiniargus was in full force, but 

 having been out two or three weeks was not at its best. On the 

 northern slopes Argviinis niobe, var. eris, was also well out ; but on 

 this date the western slope, which was sheltered from the wind, 

 provided the most sport. Here the three species, ^S". chre, H. 

 statilinus, and H. semele (the lovely Sicilian form) were jostling one 

 another in all directions, mixed up with the commoner P. egeria, P. 

 megcera, and P. mcera (worn), and a few specimens of E. zda, together 

 with most attractive-looking females of E. jiirtina (var. hispulld). 

 Blues and skippers were also in abundance, Aiigiades sylvatiiis 

 seeming to be larger than our English form. After I had reached 

 home I discovered that amongst A. niobe I had netted two specimens 

 of ^. adippe ; also with the small fritillaries, I had taken Breiithis 

 enph^-osyiie in poor condition. Besides these errors made on the 

 spot, I found that the June examples of what I took at first sight to 

 be/', egea were in reality P. c-album ; and with A.flava [thaumas), 

 both at Monte Cicci and Gravitelli, I had got the more slender 

 species with dark tips to the antennae, known as A. lineola. One 

 other species, and I have finished my butterflies. Somehow I over- 

 looked, until setting my specimens, that I had an example of 

 Nisoiiiades tages, taken at Gravitelli on June '3rd. 



At present I am not sure that my specimens of the iSIelitcccr and 

 of the blues are all properly named ; and it is possible that I possess 

 two or three more species than I have set down ; but, anyhow, I 

 have sixty-five Sicilian butterflies out of the ninety-seven species 

 given by Ragusa, which leaves me thirty-two species to search for on 

 a future visit. 



The unexpected death of my elder sister caused a sudden end 

 to my holiday in Sicily. After my glorious day on Monte Cicci 

 (June 22nd) I packed up and started for home by the midnight 

 train, and travelled through to Yorkshire in seventy hours — record 

 time. 



