4 THE ENTOMOLOGIST S RECOKD. 



every one of the species already mentioned as occurring at the 5000 ft, 

 level, flying as strongly as ever ; none the worse for their forty-eight 

 hours under four inches of snow, though I noted a slight decrease in 

 the numbers of A. pheretes, P. hiera, and L. subalpina. Five days later 

 I visited the higher levels. The snow here had not melted until the 

 morning of the 29th, consequently the four species already noted had 

 undergone twenty-four hours longer confinement than those of the 

 lower level, i.e., three days and nights. E. lappona was as abundant 

 as ever, but decidedly more worn, and there were some additions to 

 both H. cacaliae and B. pales, which were obviously freshly emerged 

 since the snow had melted, while P. napi var. bryoniae was not so 

 numerous as it had been. Nevertheless, the result was sufficient to- 

 place beyond doubt the fact that all the species in question were, one 

 may say, unaffected by forty-eight and seventy-two hours respectively 

 under four inches of snow. Prom a very reliable local source I 

 obtained much information about these summer snow-falls. In that 

 part of the country, I was told that such snow-falls might be expected 

 in any month of the summer, and sometimes lay for seven days. 

 Higher up they were more frequent and of longer duration. The 

 peasants welcome the snow when there is a spell of cold weather, for 

 should there be frosts with fine weather the grass crop of the year is 

 much damaged. This rarely happens, for frost without snow is 

 unusual, and if the grass is once covered with snow no frost that 

 comes does it the least harm, and in a few hours after the melting of 

 the snow it is standing as erect as ever. It of course rarely attains- 

 there a height of more than twelve to eighteen inches. Thus Alpine 

 butterflies, in any month, are sometimes subjected to these conditions, 

 and I see no reason to suppose that the other species are not as well 

 fitted to support the climatic conditions under which they live, as those 

 I observed. In fact I think we may conclude that, like the vegetation,, 

 they benefit by this enforced entombment, which protects them from 

 the frost and the icy wind which usually accompanies it. 



The following records show such conditions may prevail anywhere 

 in the Alps. Doubtless if looked for, many similar records would be 

 found in other publications. All the following references apply to the 

 Entomologist's Pecord. 



Mr. I). H. Pearson notes (vol. xxi., p. 264), at Binn on the night 

 of June 22nd, 1909, " heavy thunderstorm and hailstorm with three 

 or four inches of snow." The morning after, when the snow melted, 

 L. avion, A. escheri, P. eros, and P. mnemosyne were seen, the latter 

 very common. On going on to Eggishorn he adds, " weather grew 

 worse .... and two or three days of snow and wind." 



Mrs. E. E. Page writes (vol. xxii., p. 127), that at Zinal the first 

 few days of her stay (Aug. 3rd-5th, 1909), " were very cold, snow 

 falling at night." 



Mr. A. L. Earl writes (vol. xxii., p. 167), at Zermatt on June 4th,. 

 1909, " cold throughout the week, rain every afternoon until the last 

 few days when it snowed continuously." 



Mr. Pearson (vol. xxiv., p. 267) writes, " the day after we left 

 Pontresina (July 21st, 1912), there was a fall of snow." 



Mr. B. S. Curwen (vol. xxiv., p. 289), notes on July 24th, 1912, 

 between Handeck and the Grimsel Hospice, the following species : — 

 C. phicotnone, C. hyale. E. pharte, E. mnestra, tl. gorge, E. tyndar-ns 



