THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 9 



AN ENTOMOLOGICAL TRIP TO COPPER CLIFF, ONT. 



BY W. HAGUE HARRINGTON, OTTAWA. 



In June, 1892, in company with Mr. Fletcher, who was anxious to 

 obtaui Erebia Discoidalis, Kirby, I made a visit to the famous Sudbury 

 mining region. Leaving Ottawa on the 15th, at 3.40 p.m., we arrived at Cop- 

 per Ch'ff at 5 a.m. the following day. As the hour was so early we tried a 

 little collecting before calling on our friend, Mr. J. D. Evans, manager of 

 the copper and nickel mines, who had kindly invited us to stay with him. 

 Everything was rather moist, however \ and but little could be found at 

 this early hour except a {t\^ examples of Banchn-s flavescens. After break- 

 fast, and some entomological discussions with our host, we sallied forth 

 again, but showers interfered materially with collecting, and we were able 

 to do little more than gain an idea of the character of our surroundings. 

 The district, which is situated about long. 8r W., lat. 46.30 N., is in 

 general somewhat similar in character to the description given by Dr. 

 Hamilton, in a recent paper, of Sparrow Lake, from which it is distant 

 about 150 miles in a north-westerly direction, while it is about 30 miles 

 north of the Georgian Bay. This region is much broken with small hills 

 and hummocks of Laurentian formation, which formerly were apparently 

 covered by heavy forests of pine and other conifers, but which have been 

 swept by fires, and now are sparsely clothed by a second growth of shrubs 

 and small deciduous trees which are springing up among the burnt stumps 

 and logs ; while in numerous places the bare glaciated knobs of rock are 

 exposed. Between the hills are occasional small areas of seemingly fertile 

 soil, but usually these low places are swampy and contain the plants com- 

 mon to such moist habitats. The entrance to the Copper Cliff mine 

 faces on a somewhat level piece of ground of moderate area, which has 

 been converted into an artificial so/faiara, where the glare of molten slag 

 and the fumes of burning sulphur strongly remind one of a volcanic dis- 

 trict. In the immediate vicinity of the roasting grounds, and for a radius 

 of several hundred yards around, especially in the direction of the pre- 

 valent winds, vegetation has been completely destroyed by the sulphuric 

 acid, with which every shower drenches the ground. Beyond the 

 denuded area the effects are visible for a long distance in the discolora- 

 tion and bleaching of the plants, which sometimes produce not unpleasant 

 shades of colour or variegations of foliage. Near the mine a small stream 

 flows down through a beaver-meadow, and further up it has been dammed 

 to supply water for the mine. The stream is fringed with alder, willow, 



