NOTES ON COLLECTING 



1H7 



nciintrid, M. cai^trensis, Xi/lophania nionoijhjjiha^ A/iaiiim. aecalu {(iKh/iiia), 

 Dipteri/iiia scabiiiisciila (pinantri), To.rocaiiipa ItmoHa, FJu'cuinuttohia 

 fiilitjiuosa, A(/rophila traheolis {snlp/iiiralis), Tha)itnonnma vaiiaria, (ieo- 

 riietra vernaria, Phiijalia pcdaria [pilomria), and the beetle i'oh/phi/lla 

 fullo (male). 



July 13fch. — A specimen of the large beetle Tanica text or was, given 

 me by Mr. J. L. Denison. Though this fine beetle occurs throughout 

 N: Italy I had not seen it before. Between the Villa Pisani and 

 Arquata there is a row of trees on either side of the road, at first lime 

 and then acacia trees. Every day on the trunks of these trees butter- 

 flies, beetles, and flies of all sorts settle and absorb the sap that exudes 

 so freely. To-day I boxed Envauensa antiopa, Kiujonia polycJdoroti, 

 Satyrna circe, S. hei-)itione, and Hipparchia semele, with the beetles 

 Anoplistes ephippium, Cetonia afflnis, and the Hymenoptera Vespa 

 crahro and V. vulgaris, while on the adjoining roadside I took the 

 predatory Hymenopteron Annnophila sabnlosa. This last is very 

 numerous here. About the gardens one meets with the two swallow- 

 tails Papilio viachaon and P. podalirltis at all times during the hot 

 sunshine. 



July 15th. — Along the low herbage and amid the bushes at the 

 entrances of the various gorges on the right bank of the Scrivia both 

 sexes of Scolitantides baton were numerous with a few Colias ediim and 

 E. antiopa flying to and fro. I took among other things Cybosia 

 mesomella, Euproctis chrysorrhoea, and Ln)iiaspilis marginata. 



July 16th.— To the little valley at the back of the Arquata Scrivia 

 Hotel. On the rising ground at the end I found a colony of Plebeius 

 aegonwoil out, and noted that L. arion could still be met with in good 

 condition. The A. fiava {thauwas) here are large in size and with T. 

 acteon literally swarm in this locality, with equal abundance of 

 Lycfenids in general and Zygsenids. Of the latter Z. carniolica is 

 perhaps the best just now in freshness. 



July 18th. — This afternoon I bicycled through Rigoroso to the 

 next villaige, Pietrabissara, along the main road in the teeth of a 

 sirocco wind. At the entrance to this village to the right, there is a 

 gorge which has a pleasant stream running down from a waterfall 

 further up. I spent the afternoon here, and in spite of the gusty 

 wind I took several fine male Polyommatits weleager, L. arion, Argynnis 

 cydippe (adippe) var. cleodoa-a and a good number of Zyganids. 



July 20th. — By to-day the River Scrivia has completely dried up 

 and one can walk across its wide bed quite dry, although in places 

 pools are left of varying size, where doubtless fish can survive until 

 the autumnal rains afford the necessary water. Between the river and 

 the railway embankment near the bridge there are about half a dozen 

 willow trees, on which to-day I found sheltering, either from the sun 

 or the wind, E. polycJdoros, S. circe, and S. heriirione, whilst on a grassy 

 patch kept moist by a trickling stream coming under the the railway 

 were a number of the dragonfly Ortlietrum caerulescena. Between this 

 spot and the "Bluff," on the left bank, is a strata of rocky face along 

 the river. Here to-day, resting on the ledges and flying in some 

 number were Catocala electa. They are easily caught, for when 

 disturbed they fly only a short distance to another ledge and are 

 readily distinguished. 



July 25th. — Late last night we were the spectators of a vivid 



