242 BRITISH BUTTERFLIES. 



between Albarracin and Bejar, the species is more or less abundant all 

 over the rough ground which stretches nearly flat at the foot of the moun- 

 tains for two or three miles towards Segovia ; it appeared to occur 

 in every opening in the woods, by the banks of the streams and up the 

 mountains to at least 1500ft. above the town. Wheeler observes that, 

 in Switzerland, the species is generally distributed in woods and 

 clearings, on roadsides and river-banks, on alpine slopes and pastures 

 up to the tree-limit, sometimes in great profusion. We have ourselves 

 seen it in this country in a variety of situations, among others on the 

 lovely flower-covered slopes between Airolo and Piotta, with swarms 

 of Aricia astrarche, Polyommatus icarus, P. hylas, Cyaniris semiargus, 

 Agriades coridon, Heodes virgaureae, Melanargia galatea, and other 

 species, on the glorious slopes near Brugnasco, on the way to Piora ; 

 on the outskirts of the woods in the Laquinthal, where the common 

 Erebias abounded to such an extent that there was hardly room for 

 the smaller species, and again on the banks of the Krummbach, at the 

 back of the Simplon village, where it sported with Plebeius argyrog- 

 nomon; indeed, it seems difficult to name an alpine locality where these 

 two species do not occur near together. It is abundant also here and 

 there on the flowery slopes between Hauderes and Arolla, and, at the 

 latter place, on the margin of the highest pine-wood in the valley, in full 

 view of Mont Collon, one of the most glorious vignettes in the whole of 

 the Swiss Alps. In the Lower Engadine it is abundant in the flower-clad 

 openings of the pine-wood that crosses the upper slopes between 

 Lavin and Guarda, where it lives with swarms of Hirsutina damon, 

 Agriades coridon, Melitaea athalia, Erebia aethiops, and dozens of other 

 interesting species, nor is it uncommon on the rough flower-covered 

 slopes, at a distance from the woods. These slopes are partly clothed 

 with larch, birch, barberry, elder, willow, buckthorn, and other shrubs, 

 sometimes forming dense thickets, at others sparsely sprinkled over the 

 open ground, whilst the chief of the low plants appeared to be a species of 

 Gnaphalium, EpilobiuM, umbellifers, golden -rod, Centaurea, Hieracium, 

 foxgloves, clover, trefoils, scabious, Echiiun, geranium, white galium, 

 various campanulas, labiates, thistles, nettles, etc. In the Goschenen- 

 Thal it prefers an exposed stretch of heath, covered with ling, that 

 lies to the right-hand side of the path, as one goes up the valley. 

 Rowland-Brown notes it as occurring in swarms on the slopes around 

 the chapel of St. Laurent, between Vissoye and Zinal, especially on 

 both sides of the brawling Navigenze, with Aricia cuwedon, Polyom- 

 matus eros, 1\ hylas, Cyaniris semiartjus, etc. Rehfous states that, in 

 the Geneva district and in Cote d'Or, the species loves to congregate 

 at pools of water, or on the sand by the sides of rivers, often collecting 

 in large numbers with Polyommatus icariis, Pieris rapae, etc., but that 

 it is also found equally abundantly in arid places parched by the sun; in 

 the mountains it collects at the sides of the torrents, in damp spots, 

 with Cupido minimus. The localities in which we have found the 

 insect in Italy have much resembled those in Switzerland, always at 

 a high elevation, due to the late season (August) when our observations 

 have been made. Wo have seen it on the stony slopes largely covered 

 with sparse herbage and dwarf flowers, above Courmayeur, especially 

 where the main Val d'Aosta turns round into the Yal Veni,just before 

 reaching the foot of the Glacier de Brenva ; it is equally common at 

 the entrance to the Val Ferrex, and is found down the main valley 



