1890.] 73 



of my visit, the grass had not been cut ; and the meadows were simply 

 swarming with Argytinis of various species, as well as with various 

 LyccBna, PoJyommatus, &c. The exceedingly hot and dry weather, with 

 a cloudless sky for days or even weeks together, prevailing during the 

 latter, as it had done during the earlier part of June, resembling that 

 of a tropical rather than that of a boreal region, probably accounted 

 for the abundance of certain butterflies, and, perhaps, for the rarity 

 of many CoJeoptera ; it, no doubt, favoured the development of the 

 mosquitos, which are a great pest in the high ground in Norway. 

 The best time for collecting purposes would appear to be early in 

 June, the change from spring to summer being very sudden, and the 

 summer very short ; and, for many butterflies, before the haymaking 

 is finished. The ingenious devices used in many places for irrigating 

 purposes where the soil is very sandy, bear witness, at least in the 

 Gudbrandsdal, to a short dry summer. I saw few, if any, really old 

 trees in the extensive pine- forests ; the firs and birches alike appear 

 to be cut periodically, and they are not allowed to attain any great 

 size. From Christiania I took train to Eidsvold, thence along the 

 Mjosen lake to Lillehammer by steamer ; after staying two or three 

 days here, a good locality for many insects, I made my way by degrees, 

 " per carriole," by the Grudbrandsdal to Domaas, and then to the 

 Dovrefjeld, staying some days at Jerkin* and at Kongsvold, and 

 devoting one day to the ascent of Snaehaetten, about 7600 feet. From 

 the Dovrefjeld I returned by the same road to Domaas, and con- 

 tinued by way of the Gudbrandsdal and the Eomsdal to Veblungsnges, 

 and thence by the so-called land-route to Bergen. The Dovrefjeld 

 and certain places in the Gudbrandsdal were the best localities I 

 noticed for collecting purposes ; but it must be confessed that the 

 only place I stayed long enough to investigate at all thoroughly was 

 the Dovrefjeld. The latter, with its barren-looking moorland, looks 

 uninteresting after the more fertile valleys, though it, no doubt, 

 possesses more interesting plants and insects ; at this elevation, about 

 3000 feet, we are above the pine-forest region, but there is plenty of 

 birch and sallow in places, and also of the scrubby Betula nana, and 

 I an abundance of many flowering plants. From the snow-clad summit 

 [j of Snsehsetten nothing but barren moorland is to be seen ; not a tree 

 is visible ; and the surrounding mountains completely shut out any 

 view of the neighbouring valleys. A few insects not seen elsewhere 

 were, however, obtained on the summit. From Veblungsnses to Bergen, 



* There is a more direct route from Christiania to this place, viz., by taking the train to Lille 



Elvedal, and then posting the rest of the distance, 84 kilometres. 



