254 THE entomologist's record. 



coppery hue, which was also going over, whilst ('.aljiina, sometimes 

 considered a form of C. doriU^, produced an abundance of worn, males 

 and two very fine and perfect females. The only " whites " of the 

 roadsides below the refuge were Apuria crataeiji, Fieris napi and P. 

 rapar, the first named still in fine condition, P. napi, very typical, and 

 P. rapac, rather large, whilst the only two common Argynnids were 

 Ar<i!/nni!^ ai/laia and A. niobc, the latter very fine and the females 

 almost all with silvery-spotted undersides. Below Simplon, however, 

 Brenthis awathusia, quite over as to condition, was still abundant. 

 The common "skippers" were Si/richthns alrcxf:, literally in millions, 

 the females browner and less spotted than the males, Tlnjinrliriis linmla, 

 the females still fresh and some with a fine dark marginal border to all 

 the Avings, and Pamphila comma, of which the ab. flava was not 

 infrequent. These species revelled in the hot steam rising from any 

 damp bank that directly faced the midday sun, as well as on the damp 

 roadsides. On one spot, as we passed, we observed a commotion as of 

 a disturbed beehive, and on examining the hundreds of insects our pass- 

 ing had disturbed, we found them to consist almost entirely of SyricJi- 

 thua alvnis ; such a mass of butterflies we have, we believe, never wit- 

 nessed before in so restricted a space. Occasionally a fine purple-black 

 S. .sao, with its clear cut marks, might be observed. Of the "blues," 

 Pf)l>jommat)is cori/dnn was the most common, P. a^trarchc scarcely less 

 so, P. hylaf^ not common, Pleheini^ ari/iis very abundant, and mixed with 

 these, were a few very fine newly emerged Pohiommatua eroa, P. don- 

 T-^elii and /\ orhitulxs, whilst a magnificent large form of Lijcacna 

 arioH patronised the waste, flower -covered corners by the roadsides. 

 Scopnla aerealia was in hundreds on every patch of waste ground, 

 whilst Crambiis radiellus and ('. aparielliis were also abundant, 

 although we captured few. Above the refuge, on the south side, the 

 character of the pass changes somewhat abruptly, and insects appear 

 to become scarcer, although Ktehia (jnantc, K. tijndants and M. mdam- 

 piifi remain abundant. P. jntho is here rare (probably not yet emerged 

 at this elevation, as it is much more abundant below than above the 

 village of Simplon), and want of time did not allow us to search the 

 huge basin at the top of the pass, although it is possibly too closely 

 grazed to produce much in the way of Lepidoptera. Here Prcnthix 

 judes and ('alias pjiuymume come down to the road-level. Picris callidice 

 and Mditaca ci/nthia are on all the hill-tops round, whilst Anthroccra 

 c:rulans occurs on the topmost slopes, and Mdampiaf> cpiphron occurs in 

 damp grassy places. Fidonia bntnncata is to be disturbed from the 

 Alpine rhododendron, and in this upper part of the pass Mr. Edwards 

 captured a huge ? Fvilcphila ciijilKirbiat' somewhat the worse for wear, 

 however, seated upon a rocky wall. Whether this was a late native, 

 bred in these high altitudes, or an early example of the second brood that 

 had made its passage from more southern parts, one can only hazard a 

 conjecture. A(/lai.s iirticac and Fdran/c macra, as may be expected, 

 quite dominate the pass, flying along the road at all elevations. At 

 the summit is a good hotel, and it would be an excellent place from 

 which to work the higher slopes of the mountains around for Firbia 

 t/lacialiK, F. HDn/c and Mdaiiijiias vripliyle, all of which are reputed to 

 occur here. What strikes one most is, however, the amazing difference 

 between the wealth of the insect fauna on the north and south sides of 

 the upper part of the pass. For the upper two miles of the south side, 



