THP: LEPIDOPTERA OF THE KOOTENAI DISTRICT OF 

 BRITISH COLUMBIA. 



By Harrison G. Dyar. 



Custodi'i)) of Lepuloptcra. 



The Kootonjii district of British Colunihia occupies the southeastern 

 corner of the province, immediately north of the western part of 

 jMontana, Idaho, and the eastern end of Washington. It covers the 

 headwatei's of the Columbia River, which here makes a great bond 

 around the Purcell Range to the north, while the Kootenai River, 

 starting at the same point, makes a similar bend to the south into 

 Montana and Idaho and returns to join the Columbia to the west. 

 The country thus inclosed is practically a solid mass of mountains. 

 Several closel}^ parallel ranges, the Rocky Mountains, Purcell Range, 

 and Selkirks, traverse it from north to south, so that from an elevation 

 nothing can be seen in all directions but a mass of mountain peaks. 

 None of these arc of great height, but average 6,000 to 10,000 feet. 

 The Jiarrow valleys are filled by long lakes, widenings or branciies of 

 the Columbia or Kootenai rivers. The surface of the country is, 

 therefore, steep and rugged and is well forested with coniferous trees. 

 This forest has not been impaired to a perceptible extent ])v civiliza- 

 tion, though large areas are periodically Inirned over. The resulting 

 waste is graduall}" covered with a growth of small deciduous trees and 

 bushes. The small town of Kaslo on Kootenai Lake is in the heart 

 of this district, and at that point the principal collections of Lepidop- 

 tera have been made. Three months were spent here in collecting 

 during tlic sununer of 1903. I was assisted by Mr. A. N. Caudell and 

 Mr. R. P. Currie, as well as by the experience of Mr. J. W. Cockle, 

 who has been long a resident in Kaslo and has made a local collection 

 of Lepidoptera at that place for several yeai's. I slr.dl fi-e((uently 

 refer to his collection in the following pages. I am especially ind(>l)ted 

 to Doctor Hartin, of Kaslo, for the loan of ids excellent microscope 

 duriup' the summer. 



Proceedings U. S. National Museum, Vol. XXVII— No. 1376. 



77S> 



