352 



BRITISH BUTTERFLIES. 



have thus far only found L. avion on the European side of the Bosphorus 

 near Therapia, where its presence was first reported to me by Count 

 de Bukowky who took a 2 specimen early in July in 1912. In 1913, 

 an early season, avion was worn on June 24th, when I took a specimen 

 near Therapia. Its habitat is a series of dry grassy, partially wooded, 

 valleys in which thyme is common, and which, but for their greater 

 dryness, much resemble the coombes of S. Devon and Southern Eng- 

 land generally. The specimens I have seen are fairly large (42mra.- 

 46mm.) and lightly coloured, but less lightly coloured than those from 

 British localities. The localities in which L. avion occurs near Con- 

 stantinople are all relatively cool, owing to their proximity to the 

 "Bosphorus draught. With L. avion occur Avicia mitevos, A. 

 astvavche, Polyommatus icarus, Heteropterus morpJieus, Anthrocera 

 punctum, and A. laetaT But we cannot imagine anything in Britain 

 quite like the wonderful little ravine above the Baths at Digne, with 

 its sparking stream for a floor, its sides a maze of hazel, privet and 

 clematis, above which are the grassy trefoil-covered banks, where 

 Rowland-Brown found this species flying with a huge variety of other 

 species, among others, Polyommatus escheri, 1 J . icarus, Agriades thetis, 

 Cnpido osivis [sebvus), C. minimus, Cyaniris semiavgus, etc., the females 

 of which were on the banks, whilst the J s preferred the rich black 

 mud in the bed of the Eaux-Chaudes. At Megeve it occurred on a 

 lovely flower-covered bank by the side of a mountain-meadow also 

 covered with flowers, and abounding with Brenthis amathnsia, Argynnis 

 aglaia, A. adippe, A. niobe, etc. One of the most interesting localities 

 when the species occurs is on the Brevent. It is met with quite at 

 the foot of the scarred seam that leads almost from Chamonix to the 

 foot of the Brevent. Here among the huge boulders, bushes and wild 

 flowers abound, the raspberry canes being particularly numerous and 

 hung with rich luscious fruit, Lycaena avion is to be found with an 

 abundance of other butterflies, Thyas paphia, Avgynnis adippe, A. 

 aglaia, A. niobe, etc., as well as Chrysophanus hippothoe, tleodes 

 virgaureae, Loweia alciphron var. govdius, etc. The species, indeed, 

 is found almost up to the " Plan Pra "inn, at an elevation of 6770ft. 

 The species was also found in the same neighbourhood, on 

 some lovely sloping flower-clad hollows near Lavancher, that 

 come right down to the edge of the rushing torrent of the Arve, 

 the hollows themselves being divided by rough rocks or bushes, 

 and which produced among other insects Chrysophanus hippothoe, 

 Heodes vivgauveae, Loweia govdius, Dryas paphia, Argynnis adippe, 

 A. niobe, Brenthis amathnsia, etc., and as wanderers from the 

 higher levels, Colias palacno and Parnasxius delius. Sheldon found ifc 

 in the meadows at Martigny among a number of other species, e.g., 

 Plebeius avgus, P. aegon, Avicia medon, A. eumedon, Polyommatus icarus, 

 P. Jn/las, Agriades bellargus, Cyaniris semiargus, etc., and says that it 

 also occurs at Brigue, under the cliffs along the banks of the Rhone, 

 among Melitaea didyma, 1\I. parthenie, Argynnis niobe, (^olias hyale, (\ 

 edusa, etc., while Pearson found it in the mountain meadows about 

 Evolene, with Melitaea phoebe, M. didyma, Lycaena alcon, Cyaniris 

 semiavgns, etc. Rosa found it not uncommonly on a rocky slope 

 near Tiisch, also in a meadow near St. Niklaus, whilst one was also 

 taken near Aigle, on a path in the valley, in early July, 1899, and it 

 also occurred in shady parts of the Pfynwald. In Denmark, Bang- 



