288 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [November, 



G. C. Davis pronounces two or three "probably new," and 

 others very rare. The absence of Plusia vaccinia about these 

 flowers was surprising, as I had never failed in previous visits at 

 this season to take at least a few. But I saw none at this time. 



Argynnis myrina was very common, and specimens were 

 brought me every day by willing, but inexperienced collectors 

 in hopes of their proving to be A. montinus. 



Water beetles of a few species were not uncommon in the little 

 pools between the rocks near the summit and at the side of the 

 carriage road. Here I found Hydrophilus mixtus, Hydrobius 

 fuscipes, Creniphihis subcupreus, Cymbiodyta fimbriala and an 

 Agabus, probably confinis. Some of these same species were 

 also brought me by the trappists from the lake of the clouds, 

 and the sphagnostic found crawling out from the sphagnum he 

 gathered in that same water many specimens of a tiny Hydropo- 

 rus, species yet unascertained. Bidessiis affinis was very abun- 

 dant everywhere. One species of Hygrotrechus, of the family 

 popularly called water-boatmen or water-skaters, was also very 

 plentiful in the pools and on the lake. It is a reddish form, 

 probably H. rufoscutellatus . These little pools are also good 

 hunting ground for other than aquatic insects. Beetles, bugs, 

 ichneumons and small moths are blown from the sedges or rocks 

 into the water, and I have taken many such, struggling on the 

 surface or floating there lifeless. 



Of course any one seen carrying a butterfly net or poison bottle 

 about the rocky top of Mt. Washington meets many a scoff and 

 jeer from the ordinary tourist "Catching mosquitoes?" asks 

 one, sarcastically; "going fishing," calls out another, while the 

 more sober minded ones ask seriously if I really expect to find 

 any insects in such an unlikely spot. 



It is certainly wonderful how many forms of animal life exist 

 in this bleak, barren, frigid region. At times the very air seems 

 alive with minute insects, dancing like motes in the sunshine. 

 You can scarcely turn over a single one of the stones which lie 

 so strangely scattered over the whole cone or summit without 

 finding under it many and various insects, beetles, larvae, flies, 

 mites, spiders and ants, some so minute as to be scarcely visible 

 to the unassisted eye. The grass and sedge growing between 

 the rocks are alive with small leaf-hoppers, at least one of these, 

 taken on this visit, is a new species, so Mr. Van Duzee tells me, 



