LEPIDOPTERA IN THE HAUTES-ALPES : ABEIES. 229 



such as it was, was clone. It may be well to note the places where 

 insects were observed abundantly. Almost as soon as one leaves the 

 village, on the road towards the Italian frontier, one finds a mass of 

 tangled vegetation covering the waste ground by the river side — willows, 

 Hippophaes and barberry among the shrubs, thyme, trefoils, 

 dwarf epilobium, scabious and Centaurea among the flowering plants, 

 may be noted. This spot should be visited, for, here, not only do 

 the regular insect inhabitants of this part of the valley dwell, but visitors 

 from the high Alps — CoUas palaeno, C. pliicomone (many), Pieris 

 callidice — are to be taken. Among the willows Euvanessa antiopa 

 is already on the wing, and on the nettles by the roadside the deserted 

 larval nests of Pyrameis atalanta are abundant, although a single 

 imago only showed that the perfect insects had not yet fully emerged ; 

 A(jlais urticae was the only other Vanessid, and this species was found as 

 larv^, pupae and imagines. Here and there one can get from the 

 roadway to the rough slopes and gullies, and one finds insects on these 

 also in great abundance. T'apilio viachaon was occasionally seen, 

 usually worn and tailless ; Parnassiu^ apoUo flew everywhere, even 

 about the roads, and was frequently observed about the front of the 

 hotel. Aporia crataef/i was one of the commonest insects when we 

 arrived, but the way in Avbich it almost completely disappeared during 

 our stay was most remarkable. A single Pieris callidice, as we have 

 said, was unexpectedly taken not a quarter of a mile from the village ; 

 Pieris rapcie and P. napi ab. napaeae Avere abundant, but P. hrassicac 

 was scarce, and P. daplidice only observed some distance lower down 

 the road than the hotel, although Colias edxisa and (J. Injale covered 

 the ground where C. pliicomone, in considerable abundance in both 

 sexes, and a single C. palaeno were taken. That C. pliicomone naturally 

 lives at this level in the neighbourhood of Abries is certain as the 

 species was observed egg-laying on the waste flats. Leacophasia sinapis 

 was not seen, although we suspect that it must occur ; it was possibly 

 over. Gonepterijx rJiamni males were particularly brightly coloured, 

 no females were seen, so that the species was evidently not fully out. 

 Melanarfjia fjcdatJica, common down the valley, does not appear to reach 

 so high as this. The Fritillaries were in great abundance. Anjijmiis 

 latJionia everywhere, A. adippe abundant below the hotel, but 

 beginning to go over, whilst Dryas paplda was quite scarce and not 

 in good condition. Arrjynnis aglaia and A. niobe in thousands 

 everywhere, in beautiful condition, varying much in size, the latter 

 also presenting beautiful examples with the silvery spots of the under- 

 side of the hindwings particularly brilliant. Near the hotel many of 

 the A. niohe were no larger than Brentliis evplirosyne, whilst others were 

 of large size and full colour, so that possibly the larvse of the small 

 ones had been badly placed for food. A. amathiisia was not uncommon 

 near the river. 2Ielitaea didyma was in the very pink of condition, 

 the males bright red, sparkling like " coppers " in the sun, whilst the 

 females showed a splendid range of variation, many being almost 

 black in the ground colour, the fulvous limited to small areas on the 

 hindAvings ; none appeared to have the brighter fulvous colour of the 

 females found at Aix-les-Bains and other localities at a low altitude. 



[To he continued.) 



