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SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



black and absolutely barren, with snow nestling 

 in the sheltered corners, but no sign of life. 



In the valley beneath us lay our destination, 

 Tisavica (pretty), to which we descended by a 

 precipitous and zigzag path through the pines. 

 After toiling down here for some time we at last 

 came to the bottom, where we found ourselves 

 at the head of a very grand and desolate valley. 

 There was a little vegetation at our end, but among 

 it were Stenobolhrus miniatus and species of Lycaena 

 and Colias of which I am ignorant. As we ad- 

 vanced we left all vegetation behind, saving a few 

 scattered pines and occasional patches of turf. 

 Over a mile away we found a few shepherds' huts 

 inhabited by a family of mountaineers, who were 

 occupied in tending a flock of a thousand mountain 

 sheep and a few cattle, which managed to eke out 

 a living on the bits of grass that forced a way up 

 between the stones. Water had to be brought in a 

 heavy barrel from a well or spring across the other 

 side of the valley. Insect life was scarce. I 

 observed now and then an Erebia tyndarus and some 

 beetles. There were a few birds, occasional rock 

 thrushes and Alpine choughs, and as I lay down 

 to sleep on the stones I heard chamois snorting 

 in the mountains around. 



The following morning we climbed to the summit 

 of Ortish. On a grassy patch at the base I took 

 Stenobothrus bicolor Charp. and Erebia tyndarus. As 

 we neared the summit we had a splendid view of 

 eight chamois leaping across a snow slope ahead of 

 us, making a great clattering as they upset stones 

 in their course before they disappeared around 

 the hillside. From the peak itself we saw two 

 more. The panorama was very striking. Except- 

 ing afine view of the fertile valley of the Narenta, 

 all around was barren limestone hills and valleys; 

 it was impressive scenery, but, I should imagine, 

 likely to become monotonous. The height of 

 Ortish is 2,019 metres, and we melted snow to 

 drink for luncheon. 



We returned at midday to the huts, and in the 

 afternoon left for Konjica. It was a long and 

 tiring seven hours' walk, down through a wood by 

 the Basicha, a stream which runs into the Narenta. 

 In this river I took numbers of Gerris thoraciens 

 Schumm, and in the wood a handsome longicorn 

 beetle, with pale-blue rings on the antennae. 



On July 31st we started to walk to Mostar over 

 the mountains — a three days' march. On the first 

 day little or no collecting could be done owing to 

 the rain, but I observed Ocdipoda miniata Pall., and 

 took a fine longicorn, Morimus funereus Muls. As 

 we toiled through a wood near the village of 

 Borke, we saw a great black woodpecker {Pints 

 martins). Being apparently a young bird, it failed 

 to live up to its reputation for shyness, as it 

 flew in an undulating flight from tree to tree, 

 keeping a few yards in front of us. It settled on one 



trunk by the path, affording a beautiful side view, 

 displaying a very handsome creature, black as jet, 

 with a crimson crest. The bird was about the size 

 of our common green woodpecker (Gecinus viridis). 

 Our halting-place that evening wasGlavatichevo, 

 a village eight hours' walk from Konjica, in the 

 beautiful valley of the Narenta. Our hotel was 

 the gendarmerie station, where we were made 

 extremely comfortable by the Croatian gendarmes 

 who patrol the district. 



The following morning, at six, we started, 

 leaving the valley to climb the last part of the 

 great Prenj group, where we had been wandering 

 during the last few days. As we climbed the sides 

 of the hill, Mr. Witty took Aegosoma scabricorne 

 Scop, under bark, a very large and handsome 

 longicorn. When we reached the summit, we saw 

 a great barren limestone plateau stretched out 

 in front of us. It looked desolate enough, but 

 collecting was very successful, for every now and 

 then we came to a little shaded hollow, full of rough 

 herbage and weeds, well occupied by insect life. 



At a spring called Bicevica we halted for lunch, 

 and collected around. Erebia vielas was fluttering 

 about, and in the little hollows I took several 

 interesting Orthoptera : Thamnotrizon transsylvan- 

 icus Fisch. (numerous), T. fallax Fisch. (less so), 

 and Poecilimon elegans Br. I found another new 

 species of Platycleis, allied to P. fusca, with abbre- 

 viated wings, also P. grisca Fab., Stenobothrus nigro- 

 maculatus Krauss, S. parallelus Zett., an immature 

 Ephippigera sp., Stethophyma brevipenne Br., and the 

 very handsome S. fuscum Pall., a conspicuous insect, 

 its bright colours and the clattering of its wings in 

 flight betraying it at once. 



As we left this spot three huge vultures sailed 

 slowly overhead into the valley beyond. When we 

 crossed the brow of the hill we found the fauna 

 and flora much more varied, the south aspect 

 being apparently richer than the north side in 

 these mountains. We descended through the tiny 

 village of Ruishte, where Gryllus desert us Pall, and 

 G. fieberi were numerous. In addition to all the 

 species that were common at Bicevica, we look 

 numbers of Oedipoda caerulescens and 0. miniata, 

 Ephippigera sphacophila Krauss, Platycleis tessellata 

 Charp., and among the butterflies, Satyrus cine, 

 S. briseis, and Epiphincle lycaon wereabundant. 



In a commanding position above the village is 

 the gendarmerie station, where we again halted for 

 the night. It was surrounded by wood, chiefly 

 beech, in which Ectobia lapponiea was abundant. 

 Mr. Oldfield Thomas had supplied me with traps to 

 collect small mammals for the British Museum, and 

 here I set them, baited with toasted cheese, but did 

 not take any. In fact, in the woods there was little 

 sign of life except the cockroach above mentioned. 

 On August 3rd, leaving Ruishte for Mostar, we 

 began to descend almost at once to the Mostarsko 



