60 THE ENTOMOLOGIST'S RECORD. 
quarters at this time of the year, but from the middle of February 
onwards these bees are to be seen everywhere throughout southern 
Europe. 
January 20th.—A few fresh primroses and the glossy, star-like 
blossoms of Ranunculus ficarta, the Lesser Celandine, have apparently 
just burst into flower. 
January 21st.—I left Arquata Scrivia to-day for Vicenza, which I 
reached the following afternoon. En route I visited the famous 
Certosa di Pavia, some twenty minutes by steam tram from Pavia 
Station. This magnificent monastery is one of the wonders of 
northern Italy, in some respects surpassing even Milan Cathedral. 
January 24th.—Nature is more advanced here, at Vicenza, than at 
Arquata; Helleborus viridis, Ranunculus auricomus, Galanthus nivalis 
and Vinca minor are all well in flower, but the feature of the day is 
the purplish-blue blossom of Anemone coronaria everywhere on the 
hill-sides around the Villa Pagello, on the top of Monte Berico. 
January 26th.—l took my walk this afternoon on the further 
slopes of Monte Berico, where in May last I found the hill-sides 
crowded with summer flowers and insect life. More flowers are out 
to-day, but space forbids me to enumerate them all, except the 
beautiful blossoms of Corydalis cava, hiding in the hedges. 
January 29th.—A walk as far as Tormeno, nestled amongst the 
foothills of a further range of the Monti Berici, convinces me that it 
is a perfect holiday resort in the season for the naturalist or botanist. 
The sunset to-day reflects a brilliant glow on the red-tiled roofs and 
campanile of Vicenza. This glorious city seems unknown to travellers 
in general from western Europe. Small lizards are running about 
along the stone walls round our villa under the glare of the hot sun. 
February 5th.—To-day Signore Cav. Barrufaldi, of the Vicenza 
Post Office, brought me a fine large cocoon eontaining the chrysalis 
of Saturnia pyri (the great peacock moth), which files commonly in 
northern Italy from the end of April and throughout May. Signore. 
Barrufaldi also brought me a cluster of eggs of the parasitic 
Hymenopteron Microyaster glomeratus. 
February 16th.—The warm sun which rose so strongly this. 
morning, yielding a warmer temperature, announcing that spring had 
really come, brought out what insect life there was, and to-day I saw 
a hibernated specimen of Hugonia polychloros as it sailed over the 
garden walls. Amid the ivy leaves around tree-trunks on the warm 
slopes of Monte Berico, bright yellow male specimens of the Brim- 
stone butterfly Gonepteryx rhamni were flying in some numbers, and 
in such fine condition as to support the contention that this must be 
a first fresh brood, and not the hiberated specimens of this butterfly 
that one looks for in early spring in more northern climes, especially 
as No female specimens were on the wing to-day. The Carpenter bee 
(Xylocopa violacea) has now come out of hibernation, and is busy 
flying along the hot walls, where the lizards are basking in the sun. 
Along one of the stone walls, among some dead briars, I found a 
hibernated male specimen of the Orthopteron Pachytylus danicus, one 
of the migratory locusts. It so happens that to-day, through the 
kindness of Major A. H. Keenan, I have received a very fine female 
specimen of this same species, which was found in hibernation at the 
British headquarters at, Tressino. This insect is common in many 
parts of northern Italy. The female is considerably larger than the: 
