3° 



HARD WICKE' S SCIENCE- G OS SI P. 



chateau belonging to the noble family De Courten, 

 and containing some beautiful oak-panelled rooms). 



Just at the south of a wood which consists chiefly 

 of pine-trees, and which covers a small hill in the 

 grounds (by the bye, these pines are infested by 

 mistletoe, some trees having a score or more of plants 

 on them), I saw a large bright blue butterfly start 

 from a plant of Colutea arborescens, and fly up into 

 the wood. That it was something that I had never 

 seen before was certain, and f ran back to the hotel 

 for my net. On my return I was very gratified to 

 find that the butterfly had returned too, and in a 

 trice I had him in my net. It turned out to be a 

 perfect male of Iolas, so rare as a Swiss insect — 

 though abundant enough in southern France — that 

 only three previous captures in Switzerland are on 

 record. 



These were all taken near Sierre, so that if the 

 neighbourhood were carefully worked at the begin- 

 ning of July (mine was taken on the 2nd), I have no 

 doubt other specimens might be got there. 



We reached Zermatt on the 2nd of July. The first 

 two or three days were very wet indeed, and my 

 excursions during this time were confined to con- 

 stitutionals down and up the high road, which was a 

 couple of inches deep in mud. However, the weather 

 cleared at last, and for the remaining ten days of our 

 stay it was beautiful. 



My first search for butterflies was made down the 

 valley towards Randa. I got on this occasion, 

 besides commoner kinds, the following species : 

 Sinapis, Hippothoe (var. Eurybia), Simplonia, 

 Bryonia;, Eumedon, Arion, Maera, and last, but not 

 least, a nice specimen of that fine insect Gordius, the 

 first I had ever seen alive. 



I was surprised to find Cardamines still in good 

 condition. A few days later on I got in the same 

 direction some Dictynna and Athalia, and two more 

 Gordius, together with a very fine series of Delius. 

 These last occurred close to where some strong 

 springs issue from the mountain side, on the right 

 bank of the river, about a mile below Zermatt. These 

 springs saturate the ground just below the place 

 whence they issue, and here grow a good many 

 plants of Saxifraga ahoides on which the larvse feed. 

 Delius is a very easy insect to capture, as in fact are 

 all the Swiss species of the genus. 



Eumedon was one of the most plentiful of all 

 butterflies in i the valley, and was sure to be seen 

 wherever Geranium 'sanguineum occurred. The 

 imago is as partial to the flower of this plant as 

 "the caterpillar is to the seed. 



My most successful day was that on which I made 

 an excursion to the Riffel Alp. The path thither 

 leaves the village at the south end. Just beyond the 

 village the path runs alongside the river, and I there 

 saw several Apollos floating about, up and down the 

 steep bank on the left, but having rarer species in 

 view I did not attempt to make any captures. 



Soon after the path enters the wood there is a 

 small piece of grass on the left, where I saw several 

 Crataegi, and apparently in fine condition. A little 

 beyond this, in a moist pasture to the right and close 

 to some chalets, I took Dictynna and one or two 

 Pales ; the latter, however, is much more abundant at 

 higher elevations. 



Between the first and second refreshment-chalets 

 there is a considerable extent of broken rocky ground 

 more or less covered with rhododendron scrub, and 

 having fir-trees thinly scattered over it. Here I saw 

 two or three Palaanos careering about in the rapid 

 style peculiar to the genus Colias. After a time one 

 alighted, and I succeeded in netting it ; it turned out 

 to be a very fine male. 



Keeping on and up, I took a short cut across a 

 meadow or alp lying behind the second refreshment- 

 chalet. Here Phicomine was to be seen in dozens, 

 and in one corner of the meadow I found quite a 

 colony of Orbitulus, a pretty little greyish-blue butter- 

 fly which is rather local than rare. Leaving the 

 refreshment-chalet, I did not keep to the mule-path, 

 which here turns sharply to the left, but kept to the 

 gully through which the old path to the Riffel Alp 

 used to run, as I thought I might there meet with 

 Delius ; not seeing any, however, I crossed the stream 

 — which was on my right — and passed up the opposite 

 bank to the Alp above. Here Phicomine literally 

 swarmed, and as it flew low and steadily over the 

 short herbage, I could easily have taken scores if I 

 had been so inclined. I did not, however, see any- 

 thing else at all noticeable, so I re-crossed the stream 

 and made the best of my way up some very steep 

 slopes to the Hotel Riffel-Alp, capturing on my 

 way a few examples of Cassiope. 



After taking some refreshment I made for the ridge 

 of the Riffel-Alp, which lies behind the hotel, and 

 on my way up I quite unexpectedly found three 

 examples of that rare plant Anemone Halleri, and a 

 few late blooms of A. alpina. 



When I reached the ridge I could see flying about 

 over a higher part of it to the left, and very rapidly, 

 some light-coloured butterflies which I could not 

 identify, but I deferred making a closer acquaint- 

 ance with them until I had visited a somewhat boggy 

 corner of the Alp, which I could see some distance 

 away in the direction of the Riffel-Berg. 



Passing down to this corner, I saw on my way 

 Phicomine in greater profusion than ever ; but though 

 one would expect to see one or two good varieties 

 where a species is so abundant, I failed to detect any 

 here. Orbitulus, too, was plentiful, and I secured one 

 Areas, the only example that I saw of a very local, if 

 not rare, butterfly. 



Some little time before I reached the swampy 

 ground, I saw an occasional Merope, but close to 

 and flying over it the insect was in plenty, and a few 

 minutes sufficed for capturing all that I wanted. 

 Why Merope is not allowed specific rank I cannot 



