N 16 PROVINCIAL Museum REPORT. 1916 


possession of the holes and crevices formerly occupied by puffins and guillemots, and driving 
these birds from many of their old breeding-haunts entirely. No time should be lost to 
exterminate the pests so as to allow the puttins to regain possession. 
‘Of other mammals on the island, a species of deer-mouse seems to be the only one. It 
is apparently somewhat different from the Mainland and Vancouver Island forms. These 
mice are quite harmless in relation to bird-life. 
“Many fine flowering plants and shrubs adorn the island, especially in the early spring ; 
one of the most notable, because of its rarity on the Pacific Coast, being the choke-cherry, 
which grows out of the dry, earthless crevices of the rock. 
“ Marine life is well represented about the reefs and pinnacles adjacent. On South Reef 
there may be found fine specimens of the large rock-pecten, sea-urchins, and a variety of 
smaller mollusks and crustaceans. I do not doubt that a large and most interesting collection 
could be made of marine life with proper appliances. 
“T left the island on July 28th, having stopped there continuously, except for short trips 
occasionally to outlying rocks and islands. During the six weeks’ sojourn several parties of 
whites arrived seeking to explore the island, and as they had no permits to land, I refused 
them according to instructions. Two parties of Indians landed, and one of these began 
robbing the gulls’ nests. They, however, desisted when I spoke to them, after surreptitiously 
concealing the eggs they had gathered. These I afterwards found and photographed.” 
REPTILES AND BATRACHIANS. 
This branch of the collection has been practically at a standstill for a number of years. 
Quite a number of specimens have been secured during the last two years’ field-work. It is 
hoped to be able to carry on this work through the coming year, and have a number of the 
specimens already on hand sent to authorities for proper identification. 
FIsHEs. 
A most unusual visitant to this Coast was a sunfish (Jfola mola) which was captured at 
Ucluelet, on the west coast of Vancouver Island, by some Indians fishing about two miles off- 
shore on July 14th, and presented to the Museum by Second Officer E. F. Jordan, of the 
S.S. “Tees.” This appears to be the first record of this species north of San Francisco, 
California. 
Another straggler, a white sea-bass (Cymoscion nobilis), was taken in the salmon-nets off 
Port Alberni, Barkley Sound, on the west coast of Vancouver Island, by Messrs. Butterfield 
and Mackie, and presented to the Museum through Deputy Game Warden, W. R. Carter, 
of Alberni. This is the third record of this fish having been taken along this Coast ; the first 
was taken some years ago in Sooke Harbour by Sir Clive Phillipps-Wolley, and the second in 
Todd’s traps at Sherringham Point, Strait of Juan de Fuca. 
A number of smaller fishes have been added to the collection by our field collectors. 
These specimens have not, up to the present time, been studied and systematically arranged. 
ENTOMOLOGY. 
During the past three years much greater attention has been paid to this branch of natural 
history, with the result that the Museum collections have been enriched by large numbers 
of desirable specimens, many new to British Columbia and several new to science. The trip 
to Atlin undertaken by Mr. E. M. Anderson, of the Museum staff, in 1914 was very successful 
in this respect. Naturally a practically virgin country and one so little traversed by the 
entomologist would be expected to produce good results, and these expectations were fully 
realized by the quantity and quality of the material collected, over 2,000 insects being taken 
during the three months. 
Amongst the butterflies taken on this trip were several very rare ones, and many new to the 
Province. viz.: Parnassius smintheus var. nanus, Neu. ; Papilio machaon var. aliaska, Scudder 
(this is a very interesting and rare capture; very little is known about this insect, and thus 
far it has been taken only in Alaska and is still very rare in collections); Hurymus hecla var. 
glacialis, McLachlan (this is an exceedingly rare species, its habitat being Aretic America and 
Arctic Europe); Brenthis triclaris, Hub., a high-altitude species ; Brenthis polaris, Bdv., an 
inhabitant of Arctic America; Brenthis frigga varieties saga, Kallen, and improba, Butler, 
the latter being still very rare in collections; Hrebia disa var. mancinus, Dby., a beautiful 
