BUTTEEFLY-COLLEOTING IN SWITZERLAND. US'- 



Butterfly-collecting in Switzerland. 



By (Eev.) a. miles MOSS, M.A, 



The butterflies of Switzerland, during the month of July last year^ 

 again engrossed my attention ; records were made in three different 

 centres, and some 112 species came under observation. In addition, 

 many Heterocera were also noted for the first time. My first chaplaincy 

 was at Kleine Sheidegg, in the Bernese Oberland, situated at an 

 elevation of nearly 7000ft. at the foot of the mighty Jungfrau, and 35 

 minutes' walk from the Eiger glacier. Reaching Berne on the morn- 

 ing of June 28th, 1905, my observations, as on former occasions, 

 commenced through the window of the railway carriage, whence I noticed 

 a white willow bush largely stripped of its leaves, with apparently 

 some black objects amongst the denuded stems ; the train, however, 

 sped by too swiftly to determine whether they were larvfe of Euvanessa 

 antiopa. Interlaken was reached about 1 p.m., and, changing, another 

 train carried me to Lauterbrunnen, and yet a third trundled me up the 

 steep cog-railed incline to Wengen, in time for tea. Here I soon turned 

 up many former acquaintances among the lepidoptera, though I am of 

 opinion that the district is hardly as prolific as the Rhone valley and 

 its vicinities. By July 13th, I find from my notes that I had observed 

 64 species, and many of them in comparative abundance. Pamassius 

 apollo and Papilio machaon were both common, and one specimen of 

 P. podalirius was netted on the road between Zweillitschinen and 

 Grindelwald. Aporia crataegi was very abundant, and it was interest- 

 ing to watch the females depositing their citron-coloured eggs in little 

 upright clusters upon the leaves of sloe and hawthorn scrub. The 

 three common whites were present, and half-a-dozen very acceptable 

 P. var. bryoniae were obtained. Euchlo'e cardamines and Leptosia 

 miapis were also present, and one specimen of Anthocharis simplonia 

 was seen flying over the moraine by the Eiger glacier. Four larvae 

 (now healthy pupse awaiting the return of spring) of A. simplonia were 

 taken, feeding on some cruciferous weed at the side of a lane, whilst 

 the species was afterwards observed on the wing between Brigue and 

 Berisal. All the four species of Colias — phicomone, palaeno, hyale, and 

 edusa were observed ; hyale, as usual, being the most abundant. 

 Gonopteryx rliamni, too, was seen sparingly. Then, amongst the 

 fritillaries, the following occurred in greater or less abundance — Dryas- 

 paphia, Argyn7iis aglaia, A. adippe, A. iiiohe, Brenthis euphrosyne, B. 

 amathusia, Melitaea cinxia, M. athalia, and M. dictynna. In this, as in 

 other families, the paucity of the number of species recorded must not, 

 of course, be interpreted as excluding the presence of many others, 

 which quite as certainly occur in the same locality, though, may be, at 

 an earlier or later date in the season. Among the Vanessids were 

 noticed isolated specimens of Pyrameis cardui, P. atalanta, two or 

 three very worn hybernated specimens of Euvanessa antiopa, Vanessa 

 io, Aglais urticae, Eugonia polychloros, and Polygonia c-album. No 

 Limenitids or Apaturids were seen, though these turned up in strong 

 force at Les Avants, where I spent the latter part of my holiday.. 

 Among the Satyrids were noted Pararge maera, P. egeria, Epinephele 

 ianira, Enodia hyperanthus, Coenonympha ipMs, C. satyrion, and C 

 pamphilus. In the genus Erehia — melanipus, oeme, stygne, ligea, aethiopsy. 

 goante, gorge, tyndarus, lappona, and, of course, Melanargia galatea, in 



May 15th, 1906. 



