378 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



richness of the vegetation only lends a greater charm. The lower slopes 



are covered with unbroken noble forests of evergreen, as yet but slightly 



touched by the destroying-hand of the lumberman. The trees often 



average 150 feet high, while heights of 200 feet and diameters from seven 



to nine feet are not uncommon. Hemlocks, Arbor-vitse and Douglas 



spruce make up the bulk of the forest below 4,000 feet, above which they 



are replaced by fir. Deciduous trees are very sparingly represented by a 



few birch, poplars, and in the alpine meadows by willows. A distinct 



timber line is present at an altitude of about 6,000 feet, above which one 



may roam over vast stretches of alpine meadows, characterized by a 

 luxuriant growth of grass and flowers, now stretching away over quiet 

 slopes upon which the caribou love to graze, or again suddenly interrupted 

 by more rugged topography, yawning chasms and steep rock walls. There 

 are many beautiful glaciers and snow-fields of vast extent, and the rugged 

 peaks where these are found are the homes of many a fine white mountain 

 goat, and more rarely of bighorn sheep, of both of which we saw several. 

 The glorious combination of harmonizing colours, the deep blue and 

 white of the glaciers and snow, the light green of the alpine meadows, or 

 in places white or red or yellow with flowers, all contrasted with the rich 

 dark green background of the firs at timber line or growing in beautiful 

 isolated groups above, is a sight which would alone well repay the most 

 arduous journey and leave its imprint on the soul of the traveller forever. 



We were encamped for two weeks at timber line, at a distance of 

 over 60 miles north of the Canadian Pacific, in what is known as the Big 

 Bend Country, because here the Columbia River makes its grand bend 

 from a north-westerly to a south-westerly course. At this altitude the 

 most evident insects were several species of Bombus, great numbers of 

 Vespa occidentalism two species of Tabanid?e, and a very abundant and 

 exceedingly annoying Leptid of the genus Symphoromyia. Labidia 

 opimus was fairly common, but no other Saw-flies, except a single speci- 

 men of Lyda, were found. Below 4,000 feet more species of Bombus, 

 Vespas as before, several species of Saw-flies and of Longicorn beetles 

 related to Leptura. Where Downie Creek flows into the Columbia, we 

 were encamped for a week, and here shore and aquatic, woodland, and 

 flower-loving species were in great abundance. 



At our camp along the shore of the Columbia River, a few miles 

 north of the town of Revelstoke, were found especially wood-inhabiting 



