THE LEPIDOPTERA OF THE CENTRAL SPANISH SIERRAS. 57 



The Lepidoptera of the Central Spanish Sierras {with plate). 



By W. G. SHELDON, F.E.S. 



"Go to Spain ! there is precious little in that country outside the 

 Alhambra that I would take the trouble to see," exclaimed a certain 

 globe-trotting acquaintance to whom I mentioned that I contemplated 

 spending a month or so in the land of Cervantes, during the past 

 summer. I suppose there are a good many who hold similar views, 

 and certainly some of the aspects of Spain, and things Spanish, are not 

 inviting. To the naturalist, however, and especially to the lepidop- 

 terist, Spain is undoubtedly, in many respects, the most interesting 

 country in Europe ; it presents problems of distribution, at present 

 unsolved, such as those of Zegris eupheme and Satyr as hippolyte, species 

 common to Eussia and Spain, and not occurring in E urope at intermediate 

 stations. Again, most of the forms found in Spain are so different 

 from the central European representatives as to require varietal 

 names, whilst many appear almost sufficiently distinct to be considered 

 good species. His work is usually in the mountains — away from the 

 great heat of the plains — where the temperature in July and August 

 does not usually exceed 75°F.-85°F. in the shade at noon, and is 

 tempered by a most delightful, cool, and invigorating breeze, and by 

 the extreme dryness of the atmosphere. There is, moreover, an almost 

 certainty of fine Aveather and blue skies ; as a matter of fact, during 

 the whole of our visit, we only experienced two slight showers. 



Mr. E. F. S. Tylecote and myself left England on July 14th, 

 arriving at Guethary, near Biarritz, by noon on the following day ; 

 our intention being to break journey, and to stay for a couple of days 

 to obtain series of certain local butterflies that Dr. Chapman — who 

 most kindly gave us the benefit of his advice, and unrivalled Spanish 

 experience — had discovered there. There is a series of small swamps 

 and wooded hollows a mile or so inland from Guethary, which provide 

 very good collecting ground. Amongst the first butterflies seen was 

 Lampides boeticiis, abundant and of good size, apparently this species 

 feeds upon furze here ; with it were flying the last remnants of a brood 

 of Everes arf/iades, and a fine form of Rusticvs argus (aegon), with very 

 strongly marked and heavily spotted undersides; Melitaea dictijnna Avas 

 common, and in fine condition ; Satyriis alcy one, a,hnnda,nt; Hipparchm 

 arethusa var. dentata, males plentiful, with a few females. Amongst 

 other species I netted a fine and early specimen of Euvanessa antiopa : 

 Folygonia c-album. turned up, whilst amongst my captures was an inter- 

 esting female Melanargia galathea of the procida form, with exceedingly 

 dark brown undersides to the hindwings ; it was the only specimen I 

 recollect seeing ; Colias edusa and Leptoda sinapis also occurred. The 

 specialities required were Enodia dryas, a very fine and large form, the 

 males plentiful and in good condition, females just emerging. Heter- 

 opterus morpheus, quaintest of butterflies, was not abundant or in very 

 good condition, my catch comprised a dozen examples ; I should say 

 a week or ten days earlier is the time for this. Males of the exceedingly 

 local Coenonywpha oedipna were abundant, females scarce, I could only 

 manage three. This species sticks strictly to the open rush-covered 

 portions of the swamps. 



We left Guethary, on July 17th, for La Granja, a village_ in the 

 Guadarrama mountains, some sixty miles north-west of Madrid. La 

 March 15th, 1906. 



