EVERES ARGIADES. 93 



again September 6th-7th, 1907, in the Geneva district (Reverdin) ; 

 July 26th, 1907, at Versoix (Blachier) ; May 23rd-29th, 1908, at 

 Guethary (Sheldon) ; July 10th, 1908, at Melissey, Vallee d'Ognon, 

 July 11th, 1908, at Charmes, Vosges, July 15th, at Rambervillers, 

 July 21st, St. Maurice-sur-Moselle, July 29th-30th, at Charrnes, 

 August 2nd, 1908, at St. Maurice-sur-Moselle (Gibbs). 



Habits. — At Gresy-sur-Aix, the summer-brood flies freely about 

 the blossoms of some large bushy lucerne-plants that grow in a grassy 

 plot, on the outskirts of the wood that covers the hill on the Gresy 

 side. In its flight the $ Eueres argiades reminds one more of Polyoin- 

 matus icams amongst which it flies, except that, in its gambols, it 

 frequently flies rather higher above the ground, but it almost always 

 returns to a lucerne-head, or other comparatively low flower that 

 attracts it. It holds its own well among the swarms of butterflies 

 that haunt this sunny spot — Dryas paphia, Argynnis adippe, Knodia 

 dryas, Hipparchia semele, H. briseis, Coliaa edusa, C. hyale, Erebia 

 aethiops, Melitaea didyma, and, among the smaller species, Cyaniris 

 semiargus, Agriades corydon, A. bellargus, Loireia dorilis, Rumicia 

 phlaeas, etc. At Chavoire, too, it loves the lucerne-flowers, for which 

 it contests with Thymelicus acteon with great vigour. At Digne, it 

 appeared to be most attracted by the Eupatori um-blossoms, where it 

 rested, a pigmy, among swarms of HipparcJiia arethusa, Satyrus cor- 

 dula, Erebia neoridas, etc. Jones observes that, in August, 1882, the 

 species was noticed flying over a species of Erica at Biarritz, whilst 

 Sheldon observed the same habit in the specimens at Guethary, but sup- 

 posed the 2 s were engaged in oviposition. Dupont says that he saw it in 

 the Basses-Pyrenees flying round the bushes of TJlex europaeus, but Andre 

 observed it in Saone-et-Loire flying in clover and lucerne fields, especially 

 near the woods, as we have seen it at Gresy-sur-Aix. Schiitze says that, 

 at Rachlau, the species is regularly attracted to the flax-blossom, and 

 Pabst notes that, at Chemnitz, he has observed that the butterfly loves 

 to sit on low bushes, hedges, etc. It would appear that, in its more 

 northern localities, the spring-brood is comparatively rare, e.g., Zeller 

 observes that, at Glogau, he rarely found specimens in May and June, 

 whilst the summer-brood flies almost everywhere in July and August ; 

 he further remarks that it loves to collect in flowery spots, where it is 

 able to obtain food, and that the females particularly seem to gather 

 to such spots, as the foodplant, now in blossom and forming its fruit, 

 promises a suitable abundance of food to the young larva?. Norris 

 observes that, in 1892, he took a number of $ s below Chiusa, no $ s 

 at all being present with them, but that, several days later, on August 18th, 

 he found an abundance of $ s flying in a large dry clover field, more 

 than a mile distant, however, from the place where the $ s had been 

 previously captured. Oberthiir remarks on a very strange habit of the 

 species in Brittany, where, in May, the butterflies occur in the meadows 

 and grass-rides in woods, whilst, in July, they appear to be practically 

 confined to the heaths, where the heather is high, flying freely over 

 the tall ling. Speyer notes that, in Waldeck, the spring-brood is 

 usually rare, whilst the second-brood is sometimes abundant ; on the 

 other hand, Rossi observes that the spring-brood sometimes swarms 

 around Vienna. Of the uncertainty of its appearance there seem to 

 be many records, e.g., Weymer observes that, in July, 1858, he found 

 the species in meadows near Asbruch, in the Rhine Provinces, but had 



