FOUR SEASONS AT MARTIGNY. bys) 
climate, and so rich in species out of proportion to its size, so is the 
Martigny undercliff to Switzerland. 
In 1910, the latter part of May was cold and ungenial, but I was 
surprised and pleased to find Parnassius mnemosyne as soon as I entered 
the ground, a species I connected hitherto with the slope above Béri- 
sal; also [Mrebia evias. Hesperia carthami could. generally be seen 
haunting a manure heap near the village of La Batiaz, and Melitaea 
cinxia was the commonest Melitaea. I scarcely saw a single Melitaea 
parthenie in the whole Rhone valley during three months’ collecting. 
Some of this genus appear to go through cycles of abundance and 
rarity. In 1911, M. cinvia was generally scarce, and M. parthenie 
abundant; in 1912, M. cinwia was hardly to be seen; in 19138, it was 
again common, while IM. parthenie had fallen off in numbers. The 
afternoon Rhone valley wind, which blows from March to September, 
and is a great drawback to collecting all over this region, used to begin 
every day about eleven o’clock in the part of the cliff walk near La 
Batiaz, and most of my work was done before this hour. 
On July 10th, after five weeks in the mountains, I returned to 
Martigny, and found a crowd of species on the wing. Nordmannia 
dlicis and Alugia spint were common though worn, in fact the former 
must be caught the day of its emergence. Brenthis daphne was every- 
where in the wooded parts. Dryas paphia was common on a few 
brambles, but confined to them. Melitaea didyma was in all its glory, 
I counted 27 with outspread wings on the ground, sharing with B. 
daphne and Melitaea phoebe the attractions of a crushed field mouse. 
Of the Lycaenidae, Lycaena arion occurred singly at the Vernayaz end, 
as also Aricia eumedon. Polyommatus damon was common, and Scoli- 
tantides baton was in little groups, playing on the mud with some 
ragged Cupido minimus. The only abundant Hesperid was Erynnis 
lavaterac, fine dark greenish forms, darting about with intense activity. 
Limenitis camilla was common, with occasional L. sibylla, and a single 
Apatura tits, with several A. ilia. Loweta alciphron var. gordius was in 
great force, and I took three in which the black markings of the upper 
wings were lumped into one big spot. Add to these a goodly muster 
of the New Forest species in a prolific August, making plenty of in- 
ducement to plan another attack in the following year. 
The season of 1911 was hot, early and prolific. Coming straight 
from Digne, a district very hard to surpass in abundance of buttertlies, 
I reached my old ground on June 17th, and from the moment of 
leaving La Batiaz I was struck by the profusion of species and speci- 
mens. It was interesting to see bunches of full-grown larve of 
Vanessa to feeding on the hop, and sometimes sampling the bramble 
which supported the creeper. Coenonympha iphis was abundant all 
along the marshy ground, together with Polyommatus amanda. 1 was 
surprised to take a fine Brenthis amathusia, a species which I always 
connect with Corbeyrier and the fourth Refuge, or the pine zone at 
4,000 feet. L. alciphron var. gordius and Heodes virgaureae were flying 
together, the latter just out. Melitaea dictynna was the commonest 
Melitaea, and Erebia stygne was now added to the Hrebia list, with a 
single Hrebia ceto, which I had not hitherto taken so lowdown. It was 
no less surprising to see odd specimens of Coenonympha arcania var. 
darwiniana, Coenonympha satyrion and a pair of Chrysophanus hippothde, 
which last I had only seen at Pontresina, Bel Alp, Zermatt and 
