


Provinctan Museum Reporr. 


The house was named Nuskoabltnaixsta. Certain important chiefs in it were Smaiyakila, 
the head; SixsEkilaixla was a brother of the last; Atikuntan and Nunatsonajen were also big 
chiefs and rulers. These were the spirits who presided over the cannibal dance. 
2977. Storage-box (Pilkwa). This is a Bella Bella box. 
2978. Spindle-whorl. Bella Coola. 
BIRDS AND MAMMALS. 
During the early part of the year a collection of bird-skins numbering 68 and mammal-skins 
numbering 154 were purchased from Mr. J. A. Munro, of Okanagan Landing; these skins are 
prepared in a most satisfactory manner, a number of them being collected in the Nicola District, 
from which the Department had very few specimens, thus making ‘them very valuable in mapping 
out the distribution of species. 
The Provincial Game Warden at Vancouver sent to the Museum two skins of wapiti, which 
had died while being transferred from the Colony Farm to be turned out in the Lillooet District. 
These animals were unfortunately badly skinned—in fact, ruined entirely for mounting purposes. 
The raccoon group (Procyon lotor) in a wild crab-apple tree, which have been mounted for 
a great number of years and had become very much worn and faded, have been replaced by 
three good specimens, presented by Mr. J. N. Evans, Duncan, B.C. 
The Museum was also fortunate in having a (albino) squirrel, “ Vancouver Island 
Chickaree” (Sciurus hudsonius vancouvcrensis), presented by Mr. W. Fairall, which he shot 
on the Malahat, west side of Saanich Inlet, September 16th, 1917. 
ENTOMOLOGY. 
By E. H. Brackmore. 
The weather conditions of the past season were very similar to those of the previous year, 
a very wet spring and early summer being followed by a dry hot spell which extended until 
late in September. 
Throughout the valley of the Lower Fraser, the Coast District, and Vancouver Island the 
heavy rains of the early spring were continued on and off until the end of June. To those 
insects that in the pupal state pass the winter underground an abnormally heavy rainfall does 
a great deal of damage, causing many of the pup to rot, thereby reducing the number of 
individuals of those species. It also delays the appearance of many other species which, when 
they do emerge, are quickly killed off by the cold wet weather. On account of these conditions 
collecting in the early part of the season was exceedingly poor. 
The late summer and early fall were very dry and warm, the sunny days being practically 
continuous for nearly three months. This continued hot weather brought out in greater numbers 
species which as a rule are rather scarce. 
There was a rather seyere outbreak of cutworms in the Victoria and Vancouver Districts 
during the month of May and the early part of June. A great deal of damage was done to 
small gardens and cultivated lots; in some instances whole beds of garden produce were com- 
pletely devastated. The chief offenders were the dingy cutworm (Feltia ducens Walk.), the 
glassy cutworm (Sideria devastator Brace), and the caterpillars of Duroa messoria Grote, Buroa 
excellens Grote, and Feltia vancowverensis Grote. This latter species has not hitherto been 
considered of much economic importance, but I am convineed that it does as much damage as 
any of the others, with the possible exception of Sideria devastator. 
During September a particularly bad infestation of shade and ornamental trees occurred in 
Victoria. This was caused by the larve of an undetermined species (Tenthredo sp.) of sawfly. 
In normal years they confine their ravages to the Lombardy poplar (Populus dilatata Ait.), 
which is their natural food-plant, but this year they occurred in such countless numbers that 
they attacked everything in sight, even invading houses and office buildings. The lary when 
full grown measure from 144 to 1% inches in length and are of a brilliant yellow colour marked 
with round black spots on each segment. They are generally mistaken for the caterpillars of 
moths or butterflies, but they can always be distingushed by the fact that they have from six 
to eight pairs of prolegs; the false legs situated behind the three pairs of genuine legs near 
the front end of the body, while lepidopterous larve never have more than five pairs. 
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