NOVITATES ZOOLOGICAE XXI. 1914. 299 A PEELIMINARY ACCOIJNT OF THE LEPIDOPTEROUS FAUNA OF GUELT-ES-STEL, CENTRAL ALGERIA. By WALTER ROTHSCHILD, Ph.D., F.R.S. GUELT-ES-STEL is situated oa the " Hants Plateaux "' ia the Province of Alger, about 92 kilonaetres south of Boghari, and is between 3300 and 3600 ft. above the sea. It consists of a Bordj or Rest House, an Arab cafe, a Post Official's house, and two or three native huts and stables, and is situated in a narrow valley between two ranges of low hills. This valley widens ont about 4 or .5 kilometres north and south into the great Haifa Plain or " Mer d'Alfa " of the French. The soil is clay and loam mixed with much stone, and is very rich in plant life, being almost covered with bushes and innumerable Compositae, with here and there a stunted Juniperus or Betoum {Pistacia atlantica). Our first acquaintance with Guelt-es-Stel was in 1911, when we stayed there for lunch on our way to Ghardaia. On our return journey we were delayed there some hours owing to the theft or loss of some luggage, and Dr. Nissen was for-tunate enough to discover Enchloii tagis pechi. This determined me to revisit the place for a more prolonged stay, and Dr. Nisseu, Dr. Jordan and I spent ten days there in the second half of April 1912. In spite of unfavourable weather, we caught so many good species that I made np my mind to have the place thoroughly explored. To this end I have had Victor Faroult collecting there for fifteen or sixteen months, and Dr. Nissen has most generously sent me much that he has taken ; so that, although I believe the locality is far from exhausted, the present list gives a very good idea of the Lepidoptera of one of the richest collecting grounds in Algeria. The area collected over is about 12 or 14 kilometres long by about 4 or 5 wide ; and I think the fact that this small area produces about two-fifths of the species of Rkopalocera known from Algeria — viz. 40 out of 105 — will prove very surprising to most entomologists. In spite of the careful and systematic collecting, a few species which undoubtedly occur, snch as PapUio mac hao n, hsive escaped us; but, on the other hand, so many unexpected rarities, such as Ci/mbalophora haroldi, Holcocerus powelU, and Chondorostega powelli, have been taken, that the locality, small as it is, is undoubtedly a veritable entomological El Dorado. The following is a complete list of the species we have taken ourselves or received from Victor Faroult : RHOPALOCERA. PAPILIONIDAE. Fieriuae. 1. Pieris (Leucocliloe) daplidice raphani (Esp.). Papilio Dainm raphani Bsper, Eur. Schmelt. vol. i. Part II. p. 163. pi. Lxxxiv. Cont. xxxiv. (Russia). Of this species I have not obtained a very large series, and it appears to be mnch rarer than the several species of Euchloe. A small series of specimens are
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