JOURNAL OF VARIATION. 



Vol. XI. No. 1. January 15th, 1899. 



Butterfly hunting in Dalmatla,, Montenegro, Bosnia, and 

 Hercegovina. 



By Mits. M. De La B. NICHOLL. 



I arrived at Fiume April 25th, 1898, with Mr. E. Witty. We 

 immediately resolved to cross the harbour to Abbazia, as the moun- 

 tains behind it looked rather more fertile than the barren rocks 

 around the town. We found, however, little to keep us at this 

 (so-called) Austrian Cannes. The vegetation approaches more nearly to 

 that of South Devon than to that of the Kiviera, and it was evidently 

 too early in the season to do any good with butterflies at Abbazia. 

 We therefore took boat for Ragusa, some 200 miles down the Adriatic 

 and landed there April 27th. We spent April 28th very pleasantly at 

 Val d'Ombla, up a well- sheltered estuary, about five miles from the 

 town, finding the vegetation much the same as that of the Italian 

 Riviera. This is a good " butterfly corner," and as our hst of captures 

 may be taken as typical of what may generally be taken alono- this 

 coast in April and May, I give it in full ; rapilio mavhaun, P. 

 pudaliriufi, Thais ijohjxcna, I'leris enjane (very common), P. bnissicae 

 P. rapae, C'olias ednm, Lemophcma sinapis, Anthochaii.s bclia, ('kjjuIo 

 minima, PuhjommatUH icants, P. medon, P. bdlan/us, P. orion 

 Nomiadcs cijUanis, C}janiri>i an/iolus, Pohjijonia t'l/ca, I'ytroiu'in cardui 

 Pararge viei/acra, P. t'l/eria, Xisimiades tat/cs and var. unicolor. The 

 most remarkable insect we saw was Marro(/losm croatira, a splendid 

 creature. We did not catch it on this occasion, but later on we 

 secured two specimens, both hybernated. It is scarce in spring, but 

 plentiful in August. It haunts the hot rock faces, hovering aloii"- the 

 broiling masses of limestone exactly in the same manner as M. stdla- 

 taniu) does along an English brick wall. April 29th we paid a visit 

 to an entomologist who lives at Malfi, and advertises local insects and 

 living puptie in the Imcktcn Burse, but we entirely failed in gettin'' 

 any correct information from him. In fact, we were completely 

 misinformed as to the place and date of appearance of the scarce 

 Krcbia afer var. dalwata, which we were told was common " in 

 Bosnia in June," whereas it is, to the best of my belief, to be had 

 only in the neighbourhood of Sebcnico (Dalmatia) at the end of Api-jl 

 and in early May. Had we been aware of this fact, we could probably 



