1913 ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 31 



trees, the black and white spruce, jack-pine, tamarack, balsam fir, paper birch, bal- 

 sam and aspen poplar. Other species of trees as well as other plants and animals ap- 

 pear in the west, particularly on the Pacific Slope, this part of the country belong- 

 ing, properly speaking, to a different faunal region, as will be explained more fully 

 later. Except for this western section, however, the Canadian and Hudsonian 

 Zones are remarkably homogenous throughout their entire extent, both in their 

 flora and fauna and, like the arctic zone, though to a relatively smaller extent, 

 they share many genera and even species with the northern parts of Europe and 

 Asia. 



These two zones form a region of muskegs, peat-bogs and countless lakes of 

 poor drainage, and the bog-plant society, composed of such plants as sphagnum- 

 moss, sundews, pitcher-plants, cranberries, and other heath-plants, are very char- 

 acteristic. It also constitutes the great fur-bearing region of North America, and 

 among its characteristic mammals are the moose, woodland caribou, wapiti, black 

 bear, Canada lynx, pine marten, etc. In the west we have also the various species 

 of mountain sheep, the mountain goat, and the grizzly bear. 



The butterfly genera mentioned as characteristic of the Arctic region also 

 occur commonly here, together with a number of other forms, among which are 

 several of our commoner members of the Vanessa group, such as Euvanessa 

 antiopa, Aglais milherti, Eugonia j-alhum, Polygonia faunus, P. progne, and 

 Vanessa cardui. All of these occur also in the Old World, or are represented by 

 nearby allied species. The dragonflies of this region are also very closely related 

 to those of Northern Europe, i early all of the genera and several species being 

 common to both hemispheres. The most characteristic gejiera are Cordulia, Soma- 

 tochlora, and Leucorrhinia, the first two consisting of beautiful, swift-flying forms 

 of dark metallic greenish coloration with emerald green eyes, the latter of smaller 

 black species, with black and yellow bodies and pure white faces. The little red 

 dragonflies of the genus Sympetrum and the large blue and green spotted forms 

 belonging to the Aeshna are also very abundant in this zone. All these genera are 

 represented in Europe and Asia by closely allied species. Leconte has also pointed 

 out similar characteristics in the Coleoptera, and it is also true, though to a less 

 extent, in the Orthoptera, and probably in a greater or less degree of all the orders 

 of insects as well as of other classes of animals. 



Wliereas the forests of the Boreal Region are of the coniferous type, those of 

 the Austral Eegion are of the broad-leaved or deciduous type, comprising the 

 oaks, maples, elms, hickories, etc. This region also includes three zones, the Tran- 

 sition, Upper Austral, and Lower Austral. It is also divided into an eastern or 

 humid section and a western or arid section. In the opinion of many zoologists, 

 these eastern and western sections represent different faunal centres of distribu- 

 tion and should not be united into one region. Certainly among the insects 

 there is much to support this view. In the Orthoptera, for instance, there are many 

 genera and hosts of species in the dry arid parts of the Western Plains and the 

 Pacfic Slope which have no near relatives in the east, and there are many eastern 

 forms whose area of distribution ends at the Eocky Mountains or which are con- 

 fined to the wooded country east of the Great Plains. 



Similar statements may be made of the beetles, butterflies and dragonflies, 

 and, in fact, of the Class Insecta in general. Many species seem to have had 

 their origin in the south-western states or in Mexico- and to have spread from this 

 centre of distribution to the north and east. 



Of the Upper Austral Zone only a very small portion of the humid section or 



