186 THE ENTOMOLOGIST'S RECORD. 



one with Mr. Campbell being particularly interesting and pleasant. 

 We started early, about 8 to 8.40 in the morning on a brilliant day 

 and before 9 a.m. butterflies were well on the wing, the Pierids and 

 Satyrus actaea being especially " en evidence " at this hour, this latter 

 species was very common in this valley, all the specimens being of the 

 typical race. The valley is beautifully wooded for the whole distance 

 on the other side, whilst on the sunny side along which runs the 

 generally used path, the mountains rise immediately from the track 

 and are mostly cultivated with an abundance of lavender and 

 various flowers, conspicuous among them as we ascend higher, being Gen- 

 tiana lutea, a very handsome plant with its spikes of yellow 

 blossoms often four feet in height or more. Here I took Papilio 

 alexanor, but none of them were really worth keeping as they were 

 evidently nearly over and I only kept one as a remembrance. Here also 

 I took several Parnassius apollo, a fairly large race and perhaps a 

 shade darker than the ordinary run of Alpine specimens, a single 

 Aporia crataegi fell to my net and I believe I only saw a second one, 

 both being in this valley. Colias hyale was far from common, but I 

 obtained one or two fresh and large specimens. Leptmia sinapis and v. 

 d-iniensis were captured and Melitaea didyma was abundant, the females 

 being very variable, ill. plioebe was far from abundant, Argynnis 

 aalaia was of course obtained and also A. niobe var. eris, whilst I netted 

 but one Issoria lathonia. Melitaea athalia occurred higher up the 

 valley and was rather dark. Of the Erebiae within the valley I only 

 captured E. stygne, but near the top, a single fine specimen of E. 

 go ante fell to my net and in the pastures beyond the Hotellerie E. 

 tyndarits and E: epiphron were both fairly common. Pararge maera 

 and P. viegera both occurred, and Epinephele lycaon with the band 

 much emphasised, almost lupinus, was by no means rare. After 

 Agriades coridon, Polyommatus escheri was the most abundant "blue" 

 in this valley, P. icarus being much less frequent, the only P. amanda 

 I saw was also netted on this morning, whilst I took likewise a few P. 

 hylas. One or two Heodes virguareae were conspicuous in the brilliant 

 sun, the clearness of the atmosphere adding much to the refulgence of 

 their colour, this was the only " copper " I obtained here. Of the 

 genus Strymon I netted but one on the Madone side of St. Martin, this 

 being a single male of S. acaciae. The genus Hespena was very 

 common in one section of the valley, well beyond the Italian frontier, 

 the species taken were H. malvoides, H. carthawi much the commonest, 

 H. cdveus and H. serratulae, this latter coming next to H. carthami in 

 frequency. We were not sorry to sit down about 12 to 12.30 p.m. to 

 refresh the inner man beside the clear stream which runs round from 

 the Gelas just at the foot of the somewhat sugar-loaf shaped mountain 

 of " la Madone Fenestre," after which my friend was busy photo- 

 graphing whilst I turned my' attention to the Erebiae and the few 

 other species obtaining in this more elevated and therefore colder spot. 

 The Venanson slopes produced a somewhat different set of species ; 

 for instance tha Satyrus actaea were of the cordula form, many of the 

 females being very handsome with broad yellow fascia and very large 

 ocellations. S. hermione occurred here but was difficult to catch, the 

 great heat making them very restless. J lipparchia semele also occurred 

 here, though I did not meet with it in the Madone Valley but I 

 imagine it must have been there. Melitaea didyma was abundant 



