COLLECTING IN SYRIA. 



151 



ainanda, and worn Xomiades cyilariis var. aerayinosa, Syrichthus 

 tesselliim var. nomas and S. malvae var. melotis, and found Plebeius 

 nicholli out, and beginning to get worn— no 2 s to be found. Going 

 back towards Ain Zahalta, I picked up Melitaea trivia, two or 

 three Aporia crataeyi — the first time according to Mrs. Day that it 

 has been taken on the west side of the Lebanon — and more Parnassius 

 iiinemosyne, all of the var. nubilosa. At the entrance to the valley, and 

 in sight of Ain Zahalta — in fact, a bare 25 minutes from the nearest 

 houses, I saw a fine Papilio flying up and down the track. Twice it 

 swerved and went off as I approached, the third time was lucky, and 

 I was rejoicing over a fine ? of Papilio ale.ranor, the bands on the 

 forewings dusted with deep blue, evidently the form known as var. 

 orientalis (or is it var. maccabaeits .-). 



Despite some cloudy weather I managed to get two mornings more 

 on the Kabr Elias or Zahleh track (I was assured that it reached both 

 towns), and did very well there. Sat;/ r us telephassa, Gonepteryx deopatra 

 var. taurica and Limenitis Camilla were seen, but not taken. Of the 

 Papilionids — Papilio alexaiwr was apparently confined to a few acres 

 at the opening of the gorge, and was not common there ; the males 

 seemed over, they were brighter in colour than my two ? s, but 

 ragged. Thais cerisyi, generally more or less of the deyrollei form, 

 swarmed. A. crataeyi, smaller than in the Anti Lebanon or at Niha, 

 was common, as w'as Parnassius )une)iiosyne var. nubilosa. The 

 commonest Lycsenid was Polyommatus ainanda, of which I got a 

 nice series, including two beautiful J aberrations, suffused on the 

 upperside with bright silvery-blue (ab. aryentea, n. ab.). Xomiades 

 cyllarus var. aeruyinosa and N. antiochena were practically over, 

 Plebeius nicholli here and there, Polyommatus icarus and P. 

 astrarche sparingly, the latter very worn. Of other insects I got 

 Nisoniades marloyi, which flies rapidly over stony ground on the 

 slopes, and on the edges of cornfields. Melitaea didyma occurred, M. 

 phoebe and AI. trivia were less common and passe. No Melanaryia 

 teneates were yet out. Of the silver fritillaries I took Dryas pandora, 

 worn Issoria lathonia, and a few small Aryynnis niobe var. eris, just 

 out. Syrichthus orbifer had been out some time, and I got no specimens 

 of S. alveus, but large and rather pale Adupaea Jiava (thaumas) were 

 very common indeed. The collecting ground averaged some 5000ft.- 

 5600ft. above sea level. 



My list of butterflies seen or taken between May 11th and June 

 8th, comprises the following species : — Urbicolid^ : Adopoea lineola, 

 A. ftava {thaumas), Thymelicus acteon, Parnara mathias, Nisoniades 

 marloyi, Carcharodus alceae, C. althaeae, Syricthus poyyei, 8. tessellum 

 var. nomas, S. orbifer, S. malvae var. melotis. Lyc^nid^ : Chryso- 

 phanus thersamon, C. phlaeas, Xomiades cyllarus var. aeruyinosa, 

 N. antiochena, Polyommatus icarus, P. amanda, P. astrarche, P. 

 isaurica, P. anteros var. crassipnncta, P. baton var. clara, Plebeius nicholli, 

 Chilades trochilus, Lampides boeticus, Thecla spini and var. melantho, 

 T. acaciae var. abdominalis, T. ilicis. Papilionids : Pajnlio podalirius, 

 P. alexanor var. orientalis, P. machaon, Thais var. deyrollei and 

 type censyi, Doritis apollinus, Parnassius mnemosyne var. nubilosa. 

 PiERiDiDS : Aporia crataeyi, Pieris brassicae, P. rapae, Pontia 

 daplidice, Anthocharis belemia, and var. ylauce, Leptidia sinapis, L. 

 duponcheli, Colias edusa, Gonepteryx deopatra var. taurica, G.rhamni^) 



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