1898.] 203 



by me. This last is probably the var. Metis referred to by Mr. Kane 

 (European Butt., p. 56) as occuring in S. France in May. I do not 

 think that this French form is anything more than an early brood of 

 Clyiie, resembling the September brood found on the Italian lakes, 

 var. Metis, Fvv., figured by H.-S., is quite different, and is not found 

 further west than S.E. Eussia. At our next stopping place, Mentone, 

 where I collected for a week, I was struck with the small number of 

 species of butterflies. Lyccena melanops, Mhodocera Cleopatra, and 

 Fararge Egeria (the southern form), were common; AntJiocharis Belia 

 and Lyccena Orion not rare ; but nothing else worth notice was found 

 except SyriclitJius Sao. On May 7th we went to St. Martin Lantosque, 

 a small town in the Maritime Alps, situated at an elevation of 3000 

 feet, in the midst of beautiful alpine scenery, with extensive pine 

 forests and snowy mountain tops. The contrast between this place 

 and the summer vegetation and climate of the Littoral was very 

 striking ; indeed, at first I thought it would be too cold to find any 

 butterflies ; the sun, however, on fine days, had its usual southern 

 power, and there were a good many things about. It is, I should 

 think, a place well worth collecting in later in the year. (JBapilio 

 Alexanor is common in July). Here I took Erehia Evias in abun- 

 dance ; also a form of Anthocharis JBelia, which I must refer to the 

 var. simplonia. LeucopJiasia sinapis was common, but DuponcJieJi, 

 which accurs here, had not yet appeared. In the meadows and on 

 the slopes, near the town, I found Melitcea Deione, Parthenia, didyma, 

 Phoehe, and Cinccia ; also, to my surprise, Parnassius Apollo as early 

 as May 9th. In the higher regions where the snow was yet thick on 

 the foi-est paths, in spite of the hot sun, there were no butterflies. 



Descending once more to the coast to Nice, some collecting was 

 done in that district ; Melanaryia Syllius was abundant, especially on 

 the Cornichi iload and at St. Jean. AntJiocharis eupJienoides was 

 more frequently seen in this part than in any of the others visited. 

 On our return to Digne on the 19th of May, butterfly life was found 

 to be much more abundant than before, but only a few new species 

 were about. Lyccena Cyllarus was abundant, and Erehia epistygne 

 was replaced b}"- E. Evia.'i ; but what more pleased me was to find 

 L. Duponcheli very common in places, and in perfect condition. I 

 also found Anthocharis Bellezina still good on the Col de Notre Dame, 

 and the splendid Polyommatus Gordius, which is much finer here 

 than in Switzerland. On May 22nd we left for home. Collecting 

 butterflies in Provence at the above early period of the year involves 



