■FEB14 1898 



February, 1398.) 25 



NOTES ON THE RHOPALOCERA, &c., OF THE ALPS, 

 PARTICULARLY THE UPPER ENGADINE. 



BY ALBERT H. JONES, F.E.S. 



It may interest some o£ your readers who collect Lepidoptera to 

 have an account of my experiences of two summer holidays in the 

 Upper Engadine. 



From July 23rd to August 7th, 1892, I stayed at Campfer, which 

 is situated between St. Moritz and Silvaplana. This year, in company 

 with my friend Mr. Charles Fenn, I stopped at the same place from the 

 12th to 25th July, about a fortnight earlier. On the first occasion I 

 returned by way of the Stelvio and the Tyrol, and on the last by the 

 Maloja, the Italian Lakes and the Simplon, spending a few days both 

 at Zermatt and Chamonix. 



To persons who have only visited other parts of the Swiss Alps 

 the first impression of the Upper Engadine is perhaps disappointing, 

 the mountains appear low, being viewed from an elevation of 6000 

 feet. The weather at this altitude is naturally variable, yet on both 

 visits it was fine, this year exceptionally so. Some of the days were 

 brilliant in the extreme, and we were fortunate in selecting such for 

 making lengthened excursions. Our visits to the Cavloccio (an ideal 

 valley near the Maloja), the Fex Valley, and lastly to the Fuorcla 

 Surlej (9042 feet), a pass leading to the Eoseg Yalley, could not easily 

 be forgotten by any one who appreciates scenery and enjoys a day's 

 mountain collecting. 



In my experience the best localities are in the neighbourhood of 

 the little lakes between Campfer and Pontresina, the Schafberg, and 

 between the Hannen See (about 1000 feet above Campfer), and the 

 Fuorcla Surlej. It was surprising to find on a sheltered and sunny 

 slope at about 8000 feet on this Pass, three or four species of butter- 

 flies in the greatest profusion. 



Of the lateral valleys the Cavloccio is probably the best, fulfilling 

 all the requisite conditions — neither so broad, like the Fex Valley, as 

 to be exposed, nor too narrow and under the influence of excessive 

 shadow. The Erehice predominate to a large extent over other but- 

 terflies ; they are abundant in the meadows and woods, frequently 

 three or four species flying together. If one ascends a thousand feet 

 up to the tree limit, they are equally plentiful although, the species 

 are different, and the last butterfly seen before reaching the snow is 

 Erehia fjlacialis. 



Melitaea and Arrjynnis were well represented, and often abun- 



c 



