172 THE entomologist's RECORD, 



just appearing. I took specimens of E. xuiaragdaria and Bhodostrophia 

 vibicaria. In the little clearing near the bottom of the gorge I saw the 

 first male of the Neuropteron AscalapJuis longicornh, which flies about the 

 meadows of Southern Europe in June and Julj^ pretty commonly, and 

 in North Italy is of frequent occurrence. Just by the cemetery a large 

 stag beetle, Liicanus cervus, flew towards me, but as it neared me 

 suddenly turned back across the stream. Unfortunately, for itself, at 

 the moment it reached the trees on the other side, a bird, a shrike I 

 think, darted at it, and although I was unable to see exactly what 

 happened, the beetle disappeared as if by magic. I omitted to mention 

 that early yesterday afternoon, whilst skirting what is here called " the 

 Bluff," I saw a fine specimen of the dragon-fly Lihelhda depressa flying 

 up and down the backwater on the Arquata side of the Scrivia, between 

 the bridges, or at rest on the end of some overhanging twig hard by. 



June 23rd. — A fine speciment of the hawk moth, HyUfi eitphorbiae, 

 has just emerged, bred from a larva found last August at Hardelot, 

 near Boulogne-sur-Mer, feeding o-n Euphorbia cyparusus. This after- 

 noon I collected along the bottom of the hillside on the right bank of 

 the river. 8. pnini were in numbers on the privet, and with them a 

 few of the curious moth, Thyris fenestrella. There also occurred t!j9 

 first specimens of Aryyunis niohe, JSlelitaea parthenie, and Erynnis 

 lavatherae, and the summer broods of P. brasswae, P. rapae, and Celas- 

 trina argiiihui were on the wing now. S. pheyea was abundant, and I 

 captured both sexes of the dragon-fly Ccdopteryx virgo. 



June 2-lth. — Another perfect day. As I stood on the bridge over 

 the railway at Arquata to-day, the snowy mass of Monte Rosa, away 

 to the N.W., appeared visible in the distance — some 110 miles away. 

 How welcome is the shade, at this time of the year, afforded by the 

 trees on either side of the main road, consisting of lime and the beauti- 

 ful foliaged Italian acacia. They appear, however, not to have been 

 planted very long, for no stranger seeing them for the first time in the 

 early year would have dreamt how those leafless stems v\rould in two 

 months put forth a wreath of foliage sufficient to give to the passer-by 

 such a real shade from the burning Italian sun of June and July, 

 After lunch I climbed the steep hillside behind the Villa Pisano, and 

 in the little lane, half shaded from the glare of the sun, the males and 

 females of S. priud were to-day joined by the males of Chattendenia 

 xc-albiiu). S. plipgea were crowding to the flowers of Clematis vitalha, 

 while males of Gonepteryx rhamni, just emerged, were flying with fresh 

 Pyratiieis cardiii. On the summit, reached by the ziczac path, were 

 many flowering plants of the Tiger Lily, and on them were quite fresh 

 specimens of Zygaena carniolica, a remarkable fact, as it was just five 

 weeks after I first found it on Monte Berico, at Vicenza. A few 

 Acidalia ochrata were taken on the hill-top. 



June 26th. — Another H. euphorhiae emerged to-day. Along the 

 hillside S. pliegea was still abundant, fresh P. cardni and Z. carniolica, 

 a male of Melitaea didyma, and numerous females of M. galathea var, 

 procida were noted, the females of S. pruni being well out, and seemed 

 to prefer the flowers of the Clematis. At light I took a specimen of 

 Theretia porcelliis. 



June 27th. — The river Scrivia has shrunk so much that to-day I 

 was able to ford it just above the wooden bridge. I continued up the 

 right bank, having the village of Vocemola on my left until I came to 



