THREE WEEKS AT ST. MARTIN VESUBIE, 187 



everywhere, the females varying from pale straw colour with fair sized 

 spots up to the whole wing being covered with a dusky suffusion ; the 

 males were likewise variable, some having the black spots quite small 

 and so showing a large area of bright red. It was on the hillsides on 

 the right of the road to Venanson where I netted the few males of 

 Polyommatus meleager that fell to my lot. 



In the Boreon valley Pamassius apollo occurred and a large well- 

 marked form of Melitaea phoebe as also typical Argynnis niobe. As we 

 ascended upwards toward the Borean hotel the usual Erebiae were 

 taken and also one torn E. ligea, the only one I came across. 



By far the most interesting routes however were up to the Col de 

 St. Martin, on to St. Dalmas and from there over the two passes to 

 Venanson on the one hand, and on the other hand to turn sharply to 

 the right from the Col before arriving at the Douane and up to the 

 Bans de la Prema with its green hill at the back ; it was here I was 

 able to pick Edelweiss by the handful, much to the envy of many 

 passers by as I returned to the hotel. After one had cleared the few 

 cottages near the Borean stream that has to be passed over, the ascent 

 up to the Col de St. Martin is made in fairly steep zig-zags over stony 

 ground well covered with lavender and low growing aromatic plants 

 where the Lycaenids already referred to were fairly abundant, Agriades 

 coridun being by far the commonest and generally of very large size. 

 Here also I took the only females I obtained of P. meleager, viz., the 

 form steerenii. The only Aricia medon (astrarche) I took was also from 

 this side. Plebeius art/us was also taken and likewise Polyommatus 

 semiargus (the only Plebeius argyrognomon, two specimens, I took in the 

 Madone Fenestre valley). It was up the path much nearer the Col 

 after we had entered the fir tree region, at the end of July, that I took 

 Polyommatus damon, and it occurred up to the Bans de la Frema. 

 Lycaena avion was nearly over but I took a couple of specimens near 

 the Col de St. Martin. Strymon spini was not rare between the 

 Col and the Frema but were past their best ; Heodes virgaureae 

 occurred here also. Among the first ere the Col was attained 

 I took some large Satyrus hermione. Melanargia galathea, rather 

 dark and fine large specimens, were likewise common, but 

 I was desirous of pressing on to the heights above, and after 

 arriving at the Italian and joint boundary stones I was glad to ascend 

 the grassy hill above, where in spite of rather a strong wind I found 

 myself among the Erebiae and Melitaeue. I took but one specimen of 

 E. tyndarus and of E. epiphron, but E. mnestra var. gorgophone was 

 fairly common though difficult to catch, partly no doubt on account of 

 the wind, however, I succeeded in obtaining sixteen or seventeen good 

 specimens. Melitaea varia was not rare here, and I also took one M. 

 parthenie ; M. cinxia occurred a little lower down as also M. athalia. 

 The whole of this terrain was interesting country, and had it not been 

 for the scarcity of water I should have made the excursion more than 

 the two or three times I did, but there is only one place where water 

 is obtainable, well below the Frema, and that a rather poor supply, so 

 that even though tomatoes were a good substitute, it was not such 

 comfortable going as elsewhere in the great heat we were fortunate 

 enough to experience. In the lower parts outside the village of St. 

 Martin I took a single Satyrus circe and one or two S. hermione. 

 Epincphele lycaon race lupinus were not uncommon. Coenonympha dorus 



