CONTRIBUTIONS TO TIIK KAIXA OF I'IKDMOXT KKTTKKFLIKS. 227 



Pre St. Didier and Courmayeur, and as there was no serious objection 

 in the way of my fulfilling my desires, I spenli. a few weeks again in 

 these hamifcs in July-August, 1898. What I think of the lovely 

 valleys on the Italian side of Mont IJlanc most entomologists know, 

 and there is no need for me to redescribe the exquisite scenery that I 

 have already dealt with in my 1 iambics in Aipinc Vallcii!<, except as 

 incidental phases bearing on the localities where my captures were 

 made. That I have been able to entice some entomologists to these 

 cliarming valleys, of course, I know, but none of these has given us 

 a list of his captures, nor have I yet compiled a complete list of the 

 lepidoptera that I have found there. In this present note I propose to 

 deal more particularly with the butterflies to be obtained, in a few days' 

 in early August, around Pre St. Didier and Courmayeur. 



At the foot of the Italian slope of the Petit St. l^ernard lies Pre 

 St. Didier. There are two first-class hotels, and visitors need have no 

 fear on the score of comfort, whilst the charges ai-c fairly moderate. 

 One can run up the valley to Courmayeur in something under an hour, 

 or down the valley to the woods that co\'er the loAver slopes of Mont 

 Courmet. The collecting is delightfully easy and the scenery superb. 

 Insects are abundant, and Avliat more can the heart of an entomologist 

 desire ! 



The year 1898 was a " fritillary" year in the valley, and 1 specially 

 wanted ]>rijas pandoya, or rather some of my correspondents did, and I 

 liked the idea of catching the big fellows again, but among all the 

 wealth of fritillaries, 7>. jxoidora was exceedingly scarce, and a few 

 solitary examples proved but poor solace for the dozens seen in 1891. 

 J>ri/(is paphia abounded, an occasional ab. valcsuia was seen, An/ijnnis 

 aiUjipe was in hundreds, but its ab. dcodo.m scarcely observed, A. (o/laia 

 and A. niobe were abundant on the rough slopes that rise from the Dora 

 to Courmayeur, and, as usual here, the silver- spotted type of the latter 

 species was more abundant than the ab. en's, a condition of affairs 

 rarely observed ; A. lat/io)tia\vixs also abundant. TheBrcnthids,of course, 

 were over, except Brcntlns pales high up the mountains, and ]>. iim 

 very Avorn (in better condition up the Val Ferrex), Avhere ]'>. amatlmsia 

 Avas still to be met Avith ; ]>. ilia Avas not so abundant as one might 

 liaA'e expected, but the second brood AA'as only just coming out, very 

 fairly-sized specimens, as large as the spring brood at Digne, and not 

 like the pigmies of St. Michel de Maurienne. The Argynnid, however, 

 of Pre St. Didier, was An/)jnnis daphne, Avhich for tAvo or three days 

 ai)ounded on the thistle blossoms, although already past the first blush 

 in condition, and a heavy storm about August 9th cleared oft" the 

 species almost completely (as it did also F.rebia li>/ea) scarcely an 

 example being seen later. A beautiful aberration of A. ilajdnie fell to 

 my net. The 2nd, 8rd and 1th costal streaks, counting from the base 

 of the foreAvings, unite into one black blotch, the median Avavy trans- 

 verse line banded externally Avith black, so as to include the roAV of 

 black spots normally l)et\A'een this and the outer margin, the margin 

 and submarginal black spots united into a transA'ersc series of margmal 

 Motclies ; the hindAvings Avith a central l)lack cloud, absorbing the 

 iioi'mal wavy line and transverse roAV of spots; the mnrgin with a 

 scries of six long wedge-shaped streaks (the bases placed externally) 

 iiljsorbing the marginal and outer series of dots. 'I'he underside is 

 ecpially remarkable — a wide central black Iransxer-c hand on the fore- 



