A FEW DAYS AT DIGNE. 121 



A few days at Digne. 



By G. T. BETHUNE-BAKER, F.L.S., F.Z.S., F.E.S. 

 (With two plates.) 



Continuing the record of our last year's summer holiday July 31st 

 saw us back in the old familiar quarters at Digne once again, but 

 with this difference that it was August instead of the end of June and 

 early July, with the result that 1 was able to take a splendid series 

 both of Satyr us nfethum and of Erebia neoridds. Here also as at St. 

 Martin Vesubie the latter is a larger and handsomer species than those 

 from the Mende Causse. At the summit of the hill there was as 

 usual both Papilio po.daUrius, very old and worn, and P. machaon 

 chasing each other wildly around the rocky apex. I took one great 

 big female P. machaon, evidently just emerged, without a blemish, but 

 the majority had seen better days ; it was interesting to watch their 

 wild flight round and round and to and fro, it did not a,ppear to be 

 sexual at all, but simply a very '• joie de vivre " in the brilliant 

 August sun. I have never been on the top of this hill (in summer 

 time of course) without observing the same thing. On the same hill 

 though lower down 1 took a single Colia'a hyale and a beautifully fresh 

 and dark female C. cruceus. Brenthis (Aryyntr/s) ilia was still in quite 

 good condition and also Melitaea didyiua, and rather to my surprise 

 the females were very rare. Higher up on the Dourbes I got a couple 

 of Melitaea varia and two M. parthenie, the latter past their best. A 

 single belated Satyrus circe, quite perfect, fell to my net, and a nice 

 little series of Satyrus actaea, mostly female?. I took a single female 

 of Hipparchia semele, and three male Melauargia yalathea, which are 

 certainly much nearer the procida form than anything else, whilst I 

 was fortunate in securing one fine ab. leucomelas. A single Pararye 

 maera and a nice little series of half-a-dozen females of Epitiephele 

 tycoon were still on the wing and found resting places in my boxes. 

 Epinephele tithonus was, of course, on the wing, and Coenonyiupha 

 dorm was not yet over, whilst I took one typical C. pamphilns with a 

 very dark underside, kmong the Lycaenidae I took three fine Heodes 

 alciphrun race yordius. one with great obsoletion of spots on the under- 

 surface, a few Ritmicia phiaeas var. eleus very darkly suffused, and one 

 H. ilorilis. Polyoiumatus meleager among the lavender was very worn 

 indeed, but strange to say I took one male P. escheri and two quite 

 beautiful females, this must be unusually late for this species. I also 

 netted two P. hylas, which however are minute specimens but perfect, 

 and are no doubt the result of starved larvae. One female P. icarus 

 and one Pleheius medon (astrarche) also fell to my lot. Both Polyoui- 

 matus cor/don and P. thetis were on the wing and in good condition, 

 and I captured a number of the former, but of the latter I took four 

 pairs, all being of normal size; not one of the males are, however, of 

 normal colour, all are somewhat leaden in hue, whilst two of the P. 

 coridon are similar, one being almost dark grey. I have examined the 

 scales of all these and find they are all ill-developed, being very thin 

 and curled as is generally the case with these abnormal blue specimens, 

 the problem of this phenomenon is very interesting and needs working 

 out badly. Polyomtnatax adiuetus var. ripartii was also vet on the wing 

 and 1 was able to secure a fine series. 



Turning now to the Hcsperiidae I have but few to record, and hem. 

 I must tender my best thanks to Mr. Rowland-Brown for kindly going 

 July, 1921. 



