THREE SEASONS AMONG SWISS BUTTERFLIES. 5 



Melitaea cinxia and M. })aythenic, with its var. varia, were abundant at 

 Veytaux, — a curious fact, seeing that varia is as a rule a mountain 

 variety. 



Circumstances over which I had very httle control caused the 

 greater part of this summer to be passed at Sierre, in the Khone Valley, 

 and the one place in it Avhere the mosquito is extremely rare. Our 

 first visit there began on June 14th, and the following day I took a 

 specimen of Lycaena iolas 5 , and during the ensuing week two ^ , all 

 in the immediate neighbourhood of Sierre, but none of them at the 

 famous corner which every entomologist seems fondly to believe is 

 known only to himself, and to one other person to Avhom he has 

 revealed it in the strictest confidence ! It is, I am convinced, a mistake 

 to imagine that this insect is confined to a few spots, for it is always 

 found on the bladder senna (Coliiti'a arborcHccn^), is a strong flier and 

 never remains for more than a minute or two at the same plant ; it 

 must therefore have a wide range of flight within the very limited areS, 

 where the food-plant grows. Chanoine Favre informs me that it is 

 less uncommon near Martigny. A visit to Visp on June 16th produced 

 M. aurelia and one specimen of var. hritomartia, but nothing else of 

 note: Thecla ilicifi var. cerri is to be taken at Sierre at this time, though 

 not commonly. Up to this point there were but few butterflies al; 

 Sierre, and one Avas tempted to imagine that it was a somewhat barren 

 locality, an idea which subsequent experience showed to be most ill- 

 founded. A compulsory return to Veytaux, from June 27th to July 

 8th, did not produce any new species, though I took IJ)iicnitiH sibi/Ua 

 for the first time in that locality on July 1st and a remarkable specimen 

 of P. icanis [ahwu) 3' , in which the first row of black spots Avithin the 

 peacock eyes on the underside forewings is prolonged into a series of 

 dashes. This is not uncommon on the upper side forewings of 

 C/injsoj/hamis zcrviattendfi, and I have taken at Berisal a similar 5 of 

 P. (lorylaa, in which the 3rd and 4th spots of the under side forewings 

 are thus prolonged the former to such an extent as to coalesce Avith the 

 discoidal spot. On July 8th ^ve returned to Sierre, and found the 

 number of butterflies greatly increased, and amongst them some (such 

 as Kidncphde hjcaon, Lycaena arion A'ar. ohseura and Pamplnla comma 

 Avhich Avere very abundant) Avhich one is accustomed to associate Avith 

 the mountains ; but Sierre has many mountain plants AA'hich doubtless 

 accounts for this fact. A driA'e to Montana on the 11th introduced us 

 to Avhat AA'Ould appear to be a grand hunting-ground and several species 

 seemed abundant. I took Coencmipiqiha iphis J , Syrichthvs fritilhiDi 

 A'ar. alveuH and -S'. carthami, the latter exceptionally fine. But the driA'e 

 doAAai is suited only to those Avho are as strong as a horse, or as round 

 and springy as an india-rubber ball, the road being incredibly bad. 

 About this time I took ;S'. fritilhnn (type) in the valley. It Avas not 

 until July 14th that any other iieAV species Avas obtained, but on that 

 day I took a very fresh specimen of Lycaena melcaycr in the PfynAA^ald, 

 the Avocd AA'hich extends from the Ehone bridge almost to Leuk station. 

 I have heard more than one collector express disappointment Avith this 

 famous locality, but it has ahvays been after a search betAveen Sierre 

 and Pfyn, Avhereas the real happy hunting-ground is betAveen Pfyn and 

 Susten, the little village in Avhich Leuk station is situated. On July 

 18th a short Avalk along the raihvay bank toAvards Sion resulted in 

 excellent specimens of Pieri!< dapUrlice, a couple of Cuindo sebrm ^ and 



