l62 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [June, 



never entered the field as a writer, but allowed the numerous new 

 species discovered by him to be made known by others. 



Although not a young man at time of the organization of the 

 American Entomological Society, he lived to see it firmly estab- 

 lished and occupying a prominent position among kindred socie- 

 ties. He was for a time vice-president of the Society, and for 

 several years curator of its cabinet. 



-o- 



COLLECTING ON THE "CREST OF THE CONTINENT." 



By DAVID BRUCE, Rockport, N. Y. 



I extract the following notes from my journal, thinking they 

 may interest some readers of the NEWS who have never breathed 

 "the difficult air of the iced mountains' top:" 



June 24. Left Breckenridge (Colorado) at 4 A.M. and had a 

 pleasant walk to the top of the range, the weather had been cold 

 and stormy the day before, but it cleared in the night and the 

 sun rose bright and beautiful, the clouds and mist caps soon dis- 

 appearing from the peaks. As I went along I picked off a num- 

 ber of fine examples of Argynnis eurynome and Melitcza anicia 

 from the undersides of the flowers of Actinella grandiflora, where 

 they had passed the night. As I was anxious to reach a silver 

 mining camp in Summit County, where I intended to stay a few 

 days, I did not stop to collect much on my way, but sat down a 

 few minutes and watched the antics of a pair of white-tailed 

 ptarmigan that were disturbed by my presence. I was evidently 

 in close proximity to their young brood. The male flew to a rock 

 a few rods distant, and loudly chuckled and cackled as if to en- 

 courage his spouse, who went through the usual performance of 

 birds of her kind when the young are threatened with danger, 

 she fluttered across my feet as if almost disabled, sometimes 

 rolling over and gasping as if dying. I had seen these manceu- 

 vers several times before and knew what it all meant; the chicks 

 were doubtless close by, lying motionless among the broken 

 rocks. I have on several occasions come suddenly upon a brood, 

 and it is quite surprising how soon and successfully they will con- 

 ceal themselves even on the bare ground, the mother simulating 

 the cries and actions of a' wounded bird to divert the attention 

 of the intruder from her progeny. 



