8 THE ENTOMOLOGIST S RECOKD. 



at the station restaurant, sallied forth to explore the entomological 

 resources of the district. In a field near the station we found Colias 

 edvsa in very fresh condition and with them 2 or 3 Everes argiades, 

 but when the good lady of the farm explained that we were more or 

 less in her clover crop we sought pastures new by the side of the river. 

 While I stayed behind to catch Nordmannia (Thecla) acaciae — some- 

 what past their best, my brother worked some low ground near the 

 river and called out that he had taken something new. This proved 

 to be Heteropterus morpheas, which was quite an unexpected find, and 

 we managed to take half a dozen, including both sexes. They were 

 flying round some brambles and I took the first to be a "hair-streak" as 

 it had much the same style of flight. One or two Lycaena avion and 

 other oddments made up quite a decent bag and we returned to the 

 station well pleased with tbe short excursion. 



We stayed at Luchon from June 25th to July 1st, but were some- 

 what unfortunate in the weather, the mornings being usually rather 

 like a Turkish bath and the afternoons devoted to thunderstorms. On 

 the 25th we walked up to the Hospice de France, a long uphill trudge — 

 taking on the way Erynnis altheae, which were in very good condition, 

 but only appeared singly at long intervals, and one Erebia oeme taken 

 on a steep bank not far from the Hospice. The ground round the 

 Hospice looked excellent, but we had no sooner arrived than thunder 

 began to rumble and after a cup of tea we did the homeward tramp in 

 a steady downpour. 



On the 26th we tried the Vallee de Burbe, branching off from the 

 Hospice road near the old ruined tower and found very good ground.- 

 Argynnis cydippe (adippe) were large and strongly marked, but we were 

 only able to turn up 3 of the var. deodoxa. Some nice L. avion were 

 taken, with tendency of spots to run into streaks, and one Lanvpides 

 boeticus which was a new species to me. On the 27th we went a short 

 distance up the road towards Lac d'Oo, took another L. boeticus, 

 several Pararge maeva var. advasta, and one or two P. aegeria which 

 were very deep in colour and practically the same as a brother had 

 recently brought me from Algeria, being much darker than my Swiss 

 specimens. In hopes of finding a breath of fresh air, we took the 

 mountain railway up Superbagneres on the 28th, but the flies which 

 had tormented us in the valley were in legions on the mountain, and 

 of all sizes from the Scotch cleg to a horse-fly about 1^ inches long, 

 who carried a bradawl in his business end and only sulked if you 

 boxed his ears or smote him with a stick. It was good to be among 

 the alpine flowers again, and we were soon busy netting Erebia epiphvon, 

 which showed a considerable amount of variation, Melitaea aurinia 

 (not merope), a single Erebia ceto and otber things. We enjoyed our 

 lunch seated among the Dvyaa octopetala and Rhododendron, but before 

 it was finished thunder began to roll round and then the rain began. 

 It came in such blinding sheets that one could not see 20 yards ahead 

 and it was only by keeping along the ridge that we found our way 

 back to the large hotel, which is being built at the railway terminus 

 and which we could not see until we were close to the building. 



An expedition up the "Val de Lys was spoilt by rain and want of 

 sun and nothing was taken, but the ground looked promising. 



On July 2nd we left Luchon for Gavarnie, and on arriving at Luz 

 found it too late for the diligence, and on the advice of the station 



