LEPIDOPTEKA IN THE HAUTES-ALPBS '. ABRIES. 



3l9. 



towards the village, crossing the bridge, going at once along the left 

 bank of the river coming down from the valley to the left, past the 

 church, and following the mulepath that leads up to a cottage high above 

 the valley, and which one sees from the hotel. To do this one must 

 start in the early morning, not later than 6.0 a.m. or 6.30 a.m., and 

 must not loiter by the road, at least not in the first part of the 

 journey. The steep slopes one passes almost at the commencement of 

 the journey are well worth a day's exploration, but we coiild not find 

 the time. We observed here large numbers of Parnassius apollo, 

 Satyrus actaea, Melitaea didyma, very dubious Anthrocera lonicerae, and 

 many other species. In the early morning, too, the smaller fry was 

 in considerable numbers, and a species of Coleophora was in amazing 

 abundance fiyuig about the Gnaphalinm. The ordinary common 

 alpine plumes, too, were in considerable plenty — Mimaeseoptilus copro- 

 dactylus, Aciptilia tetradactyla, &c. — and many common Geometrids. 

 The object, however, was to get ahead as quickly as possible, and 

 hurrying rapidly up through the fields, the cottage was passed, and we 

 soon struck the larch wood by keeping to the path, and disturbed almost 

 immediately vast numbers of Cleoyene hitearia, Acidalia flaveolaria, 

 Larentia verherata, Cidaria populata, &c. whilst from the larches, 

 millions of Paedisca occultana were dislodged as one brushed the lower 

 branches or for a short distance forced one's way through them. One 

 suspects that a steep climb anywhere to the left would bring one 

 quickly to good collecting ground, but we could hear the cowbells just 

 above us, and we surmised that the slopes might be grazed too closely 

 to afford many insects. So we went on through the wood and soon struck 

 the water that is carried along the side of the mountain in order to irri- 

 gate the meadows through which we had just ascended. Wherever the 

 morning sun broke through the trees, a small open space would give an 

 abundance of wild flowers, and hexeErebia ettryale, Pleheius aryus,Aryyn- 

 nis aylaia, &c., were in great numbers, and Chrysophanus viryaureae, 

 Nomiades semiaryns, &c., in less abundance. Two or three paths cross 

 the stream but we forged right on until we were in the adjoining valley, 

 when other villages came into sight below and were left behind. Presently 

 the swift stream that has worn this huge valley sent its hum to us, 

 and later we see it as it breaks through the rocks, in its turbulent rush, 

 after leaving the less rapidly descending slopes at the foot of the Crete 

 de Eeychasse and the Col Bouchet. Then we had to climb the slopes to 

 the right to skirt the fall and cross the stream higher up, yet still some 

 considerable distance below the Col. One cannot help noticing here 

 that the larches have been practically defoliated by the larvae of 

 Paedisca occidtana. Facing one as the stream is crossed is the Crete, 

 and the slopes of this mountain to its summit swarm with alpine 

 insect life. In the bed of the stream and high up the slopes Parnas.nns 

 apollo, very like and at first mistaken for P. delius, flies in the greatest 

 abundance, and Brenthis pales is everywhere, Aryynnis lathonia occa- 

 sionally, A. niohe and A. aylaia in great abundance still, as also 

 Erebia tyndarus. E. euryale has almost entirely been left behind, 

 and Melampias epiphron soon appears, with Colias pldcomone in great 

 abundance, and a few C. palaeno, strangely enough worn, whilst C. 

 phicomone is, in the greater number of cases, in excellent condition. 

 Pieris callidice flies swiftly by, but- the slopes are much too steep to 

 hope to capture . it. Melitaea didyma still occurs, although one must 



