1892. J 



THE BRITISH NATURALIST. 



Yet, with the exception of occasional notices of collecting in 

 Switzerland, the Magazines very seldom have any notes on localities 

 abroad ; therefore it is with some diffidence that I offer these notes, the 

 result of a five months residence in Biarritz last year, from January 

 20th to June i8th, 1891, during which time I did my utmost, with my 

 brother's assistance to work the Diurni of the neighbourhood. 



To begin with I must say that the result was very disappointing. 

 I not unnaturally expected much from a place so far South, close lio 

 Spain, with mountains in the vicinity, yet I obtained but little, 32 

 species in all, 27 of which are included in the British lists. It is true 

 that my stay did not mclude the summer proper, also that the un- 

 usual severity of the weather for a short time in January may have 

 affected insect life, still the fact remains that with every variety of 

 collecting ground, along the coast, inland, cliffs, common, heaths, 

 valleys, meadow land, marshes, woods, pine forests, etc., etc., there 

 was a lamentable absence of butterflies. After the longest day's 

 collecting I seldom got as good a boxful as can be obtained here. 

 Perhaps the only species that were ever, at any one time, really 

 abundant were Tages in April, Ciuxia in May, and Brassica the end of 

 May and beginning of June. 



I could hear of no collector at Biarritz except a few small boys, 

 arid the contents of the museum at Bayonne were temporarily 

 removed pending alterations in the building, so I had no opportunity 

 of seeing a proper collection of the neighbourhood or of judging what 

 it would produce during an average season for the whole year round. 



The weather during my stay was at all times similar to that 

 in England but of course warmer. Thus February and the 

 first half of March were unusually fine and w^arm, from then to the 

 middle of May changeable and unsettled, and comparatively cool, 

 from the middle of May till w^e left, fine and at times very hot. 



Our collecting ground comprised every likely looking spot within 

 a walk or moderate drive of Biarritz, also one day spent at Cambo, 

 nearer the mountains, but even there on a fine day at the beginning of 

 June, there were but few butterflies. 



Below is a list of the species taken, with a few notes. The date 

 following each name is that when the insect was first seen or taken, 

 the date in parenthesis is that on which the insect was lirst noticed 

 here, chiefly this year, from whicli it will be seen tliat tliere is about 

 a months difference. 



Night work being im})ossible I did \-ery little with r(\gard to 

 Heterocera, niy notes therefore on th.em are not inserted. 

 P. machaon.- ^lav i8tli. Scarce, we caug(hl but our specnnon and 

 missed two or three others. 



