306 T. D. A. COCKKKELL. 



indebted to him for the identification of most of the species. Some 

 few were sent to Dr. Horn, and others are in the U. S. National 

 Museum. The Rhopalocera were mostly identified by Mr. W. H. 

 Edwards ; a good many species were sent to Mr. Elwes, but he did 

 not send me their names. Mr. Nash, of Pueblo, very kindly gave 

 me information about his captures at Rosita and elsewhere, from 

 which I have quoted largely. The Heterocera I found it difficult 

 to get named, and so the list is small. Mr. Hulst was very kind in 

 identifying species, and the late Mr. Hy. Edwards sent me the names 

 of a few. A good many were .sent to Mr. Strecker, but I only got 

 the names of two or three. Mr. Beutenmiiller has some of the small 

 species, and so has Prof. Fernald. Some were also sent to Lord 

 Walsingham. The Hymenoptera, with some few exceptions, were 

 sent to Mr. Ashmead, who was most kind in identifying them. Mr. 

 Ashmead also has most of the Hemiptera. Prof. L. Bruner has the 

 Orthoptera, which he kindly identified. I could not find any one 

 to name the Neuroptera, although I sent some species to Mr. McLach- 

 lan. The Diptera are mostly unnamed, except a few which I worked 

 out myself. The Arachnida went partly to the Rev. O. P. Cam- 

 bridge, and partly to Dr. Thorell, but I did not learn the names of 

 the species, although Mr. Cambridge kindly identified the genera. 

 Finally, thanks are due to Prof. Riley and his colleagues at the U. 

 S. Department of Agriculture for constant assistance and advice, 

 which has been invaluable to me. 



THE! MID-ALPINE ZONE OF CUSTER COUNTY. 



The mid-alpine zone, as I have defined it,* extends from about 

 6500 feet to 10,000 feet. It is essentially the zone of oak-scrub 

 (^Quercus undulata) and quaking asp {Popidus iremuloides). Its 

 most characteristic conifer is Pinus ponderosa var. scopulorum, but 

 with the high-alpine zone it shares Picea engehnanni, with the sub- 

 alpine, Pinus edidis and Juniperus virglniauus. The mid-alpine of 

 Custer County is practically the same district as Wet Mountain Val- 

 ley. This valley has an altitude of about 8000 feet ; it is bordered 

 on the east by the Wet Mountains, and on the west by the Sangre 

 de Cristo Range. The central portion of the valley is open prairie 

 land, but the mountain slopes are wooded. Rosita, on the slope of 

 the Wet Mountains, is 8736 feet above sea-level. The two towns 

 situated on the open plain are Silver Cliff, 7990 feet, and West Clifl^, 

 » See "Entomological News," 1892, p. 203. 



