GENUS CHIONOBAS 197 



blind ocelli or dots on the wings than the male, and the tip of the 



abdomen is diti'erently shaped, as seen in the Figures 2881? and c. 



Like all the Satyrids, the female will ovipost on the net which 



confines her, just as well as on a plant. The larvje feed on grass. 



284. Chionobas Gigas. 



Plate XX\'I ; Figures 284, a, b, c. 



Fig. 284, Male, Vancouver Island, July 3, 1891 ; Author. 



a. ]Male, underside, Vancouver Island, July 3, 1891 ; 



Author. 



b. Female, Vancouver Island, July 3, 1891 ; Author. 



c. Female, underside, \'ancouver Island, July 3, 



1891 ; Author. 



Gigas is found about the bald knobs of the mountain tops which 

 largely form the elevations of Vancouver Island ; the mountains 

 are heavily forested with fir trees, and these bare rocky knobs are 

 the only open places on the heights. There are little open, grassy 

 valleys on the lowlands, but Gigas never goes there. The males 

 stay about those bare rock-knobs, flirting and playing during the 

 few sunny hours that shine upon the rocks in that cloudy, raw 

 climate ; the females are more quiet, keeping about the base of the 

 rocks, and lay their eggs upon the fine grass-blades that spring up 

 about the rocks. I conclude that the butterfly can not live more 

 than four or five days in the best of weather. The paragraph on 

 "stranded butterflies," in another part of this book, applies pecu- 

 liarly to this species. 



The determination of species is almost wholly from the under 

 side, the striations being uneven, or, as I call it, congested. 



285. Chionobas Nevadensis. 



No figure. 

 The name of Nevadensis standing in the catalogues, was pub- 

 lished two years prior to that of Californica. Both names were 

 published by foreigners, and the types, if they yet remain, are 

 probably in France, and are not readily seen, or compared with 

 recently-taken specimens. I have never seen an authoritatively- 

 labeled Nevadensis, but I believe that it stands for the same but- 

 terfly that I call Californica ; and whenever that shall be estab- 

 lished as a fact instead of being merely guessed at, as at present, 

 the name Californica will have to be dropped and Nevadensis 

 used instead, as priority governs in such cases. 



