64 THE ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD. 
of the alpina form, although some had more than traces of the orange 
eye spots on the upperside. One example had a considerable sup- 
pressed suffusion of red-brown, which was only seen when the insect 
was held in a certain oblique position. A very worn male of Cupido 
minimus was met with. A few Polyommatus semiargus, in the form 
montana, small and dull in colour, were taken. One example had 
asymmetrical eye-spots on the underside. The right forewing had five 
eye-spots while the left had only three, the basal ones in each case 
being obsolete. Plebeius argyrognomon was the small aegidion form, 
and females were more in evidence than males. Vaccintina optilete was 
was the only other “blue” seen. It was small and of the form cypa- 
rissus, Which is usual in the higher situations. I had quite expected 
to meet with Lycaena arion var. obscura, but did not see a specimen 
during the whole of my stay in the Engadine. Not even a worn speci- 
men of the much desired Brenthis thore was met with. Surely it was 
not too late for it on this elevated ground. Of the other Brenthids 
two species turned up; of course one was Brenthis pales, which was 
generally seen wherever butterflies were attracted. The forms noted 
were somewhat well-spotted, and not the form with very little spotting 
which is more usual at higher elevations than this. The female form 
was frequently var. isis. One female example was an extremely pale 
napaea form, without fulvous on all wings. There were no examples 
of the arsilache form. The other Brenthid noted was the ubiquitous 
Brenthis euphrosyne, which seems to be met with at all elevations in the 
Alps, but never in any number, and often only an odd example. The 
specimen captured was only of medium size. Those taken high up are 
often of large size, although I have seen forms from Hyeres, just above 
sea-level, quite as large, but this is exceptional. Wherever tall flowers 
were standing there one would meet with Argynnis aglaia and A. niobe, 
the latter mostly worn, the former quite fresh and in some numbers. 
Only two Melitaea species were met with, one a solitary specimen of 
Melitaea dictynna. This was a female in excellent condition, small, 
with great contrast between the intensely black markings and the 
brilliant rich orange ground. The other Melitaea was a very dusky 
female of MW. varia, of which species no males were seen. In the 
Hesperidae odd examples of the alveus group were occasionally met 
with, and the var. alpina of Urbicola comma, with much darker upper- 
side suffusion of ground colour, occurred in the more sunny corners. 
In the Geometers, Odezia atrata was often disturbed from grassy 
edges, Hntephria caesiata was fairly common on the trunks of pine trees, 
and Larentia verberata occurred here and there. Noctuids were repre- 
sented by Plusia gamma, Hadena dentina, and Plusia hochenwarthi, the 
last two on flower heads and much worn. A very ordinary form of 
Phragmatobia fuliginosa, which might have occurred on our British 
Downs, turned up, while var. chrysocephala of Adscita geryon could be 
swept from low flowers. Scoparia sudetica was easily disturbed from 
the undergrowth, as was also the Tortrix Aphelia osseana (pratana), 
both species quite fresh. One or two specimens of Botys aerealis were 
taken. 
In this alpine valley flowers are not so plentiful as in many high val- 
leys, since the trees and undergrowth seem to dominate the vegetation to 
too great a degree. Caltha palustris flourished in some marshy spots, 
and the stately monkshood stood in groups amongst the fallen rocks in 
