176 THE entomologist's record. 



roughness of the moraine made a prolonged chase out of the 

 question. 



A visit to Simplon Dorf and the Laquinthal, on August 10th, was 

 a little disappointing, nothing of much interest being taken, except 

 Ohrysophanns virgaureae 5 (type); having worked mainly on the north 

 side of the Simplon Pass, we were much more familiar with var. 

 zermattensis. We spent August 11th to 14th in making short 

 excursions from Simplon Kulm. Near the Kaltwasser Gallery we 

 found Polyommatus eros 3 s plentiful; amongst our captures was one ab. 

 obsoleta, and we took five ? s. An aberration of Nomiades semiargus 

 was also taken, in which there were two extra spots on the underside 

 of the hindwing, between the discoidal spot and the usual row of spots. 

 In the same neighbourhood, Parnassiiis delius Avas fairly common, but 

 often worn. Amongst the specimens of this insect that we took, were 

 ab. inornata, ab. aurantiaca, ab. albopHvata, and one or two approaching 

 ab. $ hardwicJcii. Other captures were Erehia mnestra (three specimens 

 only), E. prono'e var. pitho (a good series, shewing considerable varia- 

 tion), and a remarkably fine form of Argi/nnis niohe (type) ? , very 

 dark and beautifully shot with purple. We paid two more visits to the 

 moraine of the Kaltwasser Glacier, but it had turned colder, and 

 E. alecto vdx.glacialk was scarcely to be seen. We captured, however, 

 some more Erehia gorge and E. lappona, and a very pretty aberration of 

 Polyommatus orbitidus, having an antemarginal row of white spots on 

 the upperside of the front wing, and corresponding in some other (but 

 not all) respects with ab. aquilonia, as described in Mr. Wheeler's book. 

 It is worth noting that, in this district, we met with both the white 

 and yellow forms of Colias palaeno 2 • We took one or two specimens 

 with the discoidal spot on the upperside of the front wing hardly 

 perceptible. 



The next two days were occupied in moving from Simplon Kulm 

 to Fiesch, where we took a very fine and dark Parnassius apollo $ , 

 and from Fiesch to Binn, the centre of a district famed for its minera- 

 logical treasures, but, so far as I am aware, not very much visited by 

 entomologists. Here we were so fortunate as to meet Mr. A. J. Fison 

 (of Charpigny), the well-known entomologist, who generously placed 

 his knowledge of the locality at our disposal. August 17th was very 

 wet, but on the next day we walked, with Mr. Fison, to the Geisspfad 

 Lakes, and, on the way, took Parnassius delius, Brenthis pales ab. ? 

 napaea, Erehia tyndarus ab. caecodromus, and many commoner species. 

 August 19th to 21st were spent in the Binnenthal, always above Binn. 

 There was a great abundance of insect life in this valley, Brenthis pales 

 ab. napaea was exceptionally fine as well as abundant. The Lycsenids, 

 chiefly Polyommatus corydon, with some damon, donzelii, orhitulus, and 

 hylas, sat in hundreds on damp patches in the footpaths. If one 

 approached them quietly they did not disturb themselves, and by 

 carefully examining them as they sat many aberrations could be noticed. 

 In this way we took five P. corydon ab. ohsoleta, and two ab. arcuata. 

 It was, however, difiicult to capture the particular specimens one 

 wanted without capturing some twenty or thirty others at the same 

 time, and, when they were all in the net together, it was no easy 

 matter to single out the right one from amongst the rest. Chrysophanus 

 virgaureae $ var. zermattensis showed great variety in size, ground 

 colour, and markings. Amongst other captures were Chrysophanus 



