BUTTERFLIES OF MONTANA. G7 



A few species of Colias, Pieris, Euptoieta, Phyciodes, and Lycaena 

 occur here, however in sufficient abundance not to be called rare. There 

 exists an unusually localized distribution among most species here, 

 which doubtless results from a similar localization of the foodplants, 

 many of which are to be found only near flowing springs or other sources 

 of moisture. The Satyrids, Pamphila, and other prairie varieties, how- 

 ever, may be met with in country of almost any character, as also may 

 such species as the Argynnids, Pyrameis cardui or Danias archippus. 



This season has proven an unusually productive one, and fully twice 

 the number of butterflies were on the wing this year than appeared in 

 either 1891 or 1892. 



Our climate and soil are so dry that no agriculture is successful 

 without irrigation, and I attribute this season's productiveness in the 

 Lepidoptera of this immediate vicinity to systems of artificial irrigation,, 

 which has been successfully operated here only the last two seasons, 

 and no doubt all insect life so dependent upon vegetation, will steadily 

 increase as the amount and variety of plant-life is multiplied year by 

 year by the introduction of agriculture under our irrigation systems 

 along the Tongue and Yellowstone River bottoms. 



In the interest of the readers of the Entomologist News I append a 

 list of the species of diurnals that I have taken about Miles City during 

 a three years' residence here: 



Papilio zolicaon, rare. 



Pieris rapae, common. 



Pieris protodice. 



Anthrocharis olympia, not rare. 



Colias eurytheme, common. 



Colias eriphyle, common. 



Danias archippus, rare. 



Argynnis idalia, one differing a little from eastern species.^ 



Argynnis edwardsii, not common. 



Argynnis nevadensis, not common. 



Argynnis cypris, rare. 



Argynnis sp., one. 



Euptoieta claudia, one of the most common (averaging small in size). 



Melitaea. three species; not common and local. 



Phyciodes tharos, rather common. 



Phyciodes carlota, quite common. 



Grapta zephyrus, one. 



Vannessa antiopa, not common. 



Vanessa californica, one. 



Vanessa milberti, rare. 



Pyrameis cardui, not rare. 



Pyrameis ? sp. nov. sp., possibly Hy. Edy. Hybrid caryae et atlanta. 



Limenitis weidmeyerii, rare and local. 



Limenitis disippus, rare and local. * 



Coenonympha ochracea, rather common. 



Satyrus alope-oiympus, rare. 



