124 THE entomologist's becoed. 



were of var. hryoniae, and one specimen was exceptionally dark and 

 richly marked. Coenonympha satyrion was also plentiful, and I was 

 surprised to take two Callophrys rubi in perfectly fresh condition. One 

 day was spent in an expedition up La Eousette (10,700ft.), but the 

 weather was bad and nothing fresh was seen or taken. The flowers, 

 hoAvever, were very interesting, and in one place we walked over large 

 sheets of Ranunculus glacialis, while the gentians and sulphur anemones 

 were in profusion. We expected to find many fresh things out on our 

 return to Evolene, but nothing was out — not even the sun — and after 

 a day and a half of steady downpour, in which we walked to Hauderes, 

 where we met M. Morel, the coleopterist, we struck camp and took 

 train for Paris, thus ending another pleasant little holiday among the 

 Swiss butterflies. 



Collecting Lepidoptera in Syria in 1905. 



By P. P. GRAVES. 



In the early summer of 1905 my good fortune again led me to 

 Syria, and, though I had much else to do, the days I was able to devote 

 to collecting were by no means wasted. On May 10th I had a day at 

 Jaffa in the fields near the Nahr el Awaj, a pretty mill-stream that 

 runs into the sea a few miles north of the town. Here Pieris rapae 

 and Pontia daplidice, both rather worn as a rule, swarmed, but I saw 

 little else but odd specimens of Lampides boeticus, Polyommatns icarus, 

 and Chrysophanus phlaeas, and a few Pieris brassicae, flying in gardens 

 near the town. Sesia stellatarum and Phryxus livornica were caught 

 and noted, and on the 12th I was at Beyrout, and trained to the 

 Nahr el Kelb, hoping for better spoil. The sirocco was beginning to 

 blow, and the season was, as far as I can judge from a comparison of 

 my dates with those recorded by Mrs. Nicholl, decidedly late. I took a 

 short series of Epinephele jurtina var. telmessia, a tine Melanargia titea, 

 which species appeared to be just emerging, a fresh male Parnara 

 mathias, and a few fresh Erynnis alceae, inclining towards the southern 

 form. Poyitia daplidice, Colias ediisa, Pyrameis cardui, Polygonia egea, 

 Syrichthus orbifer, and one Chilades trochilus, were also noted. The 

 next three days were roasting, and I spent them mostly indoors, 

 visiting the Museum of the Beyrout College, where Professor and Mrs. 

 Day gave me most interesting information as to the lepidoptera of the 

 Lebanon, and running after insects only one afternoon, when I drove 

 up to Ascya, some 1800 feet above sea-level, and brought back nothing 

 but a short series of Thymelicus acteon and a very large and handsome 

 female of Epinephele var. telmessia. On the railway journey to Damascus, 

 I saw insects galore, and, on the afternoon of the 18th, collected on 

 the wooded railway-banks at Dumar. Here I took Aporia crataeyi, 

 large and not uncommon, and, on a dry bank covered with flowering 

 crucifers, a couple of ? Anthocharis belemia var. glance, slightly worn 

 and much more yellow on the underside of the hindwings than most 

 Egyptian specimens. P. daplidice swarmed, in poor condition, however, 

 and Thais cerisyi, which I took for the first time, had seen its best 

 days. The Lycasnids were not exciting — Chrysophanus phlaeas, Poly- 

 Qminatus icarus, and a solitary P. astrarche were all I noted, but 

 Syrichthus orbifer was not infrequent, and in excellent condition, and 

 I took a single excellent specimen of the very local S. poggei. Th^ 



