
« 
M 44 British CoLuMBra. 1922 



The British Columbia specimens are very variable, both in size and in coloration. The 
Wellington examples are the largest, being 21-22 mm. in expanse, with the dark shades con- 
trasting with the paler areas, which are a deep cream. A series from Goldstream average 
18 mm. in expanse and are very pale, the ground colour being a sordid white, with the brown 
spot before cleft distinctly marked. hose from Fraser Mills are similar, but not quite so pale. 
Some Kaslo specimens are as pale as my Goldstream series, but a trifle smaller, although one 
specimen is larger than any, measuring 23 nim., and in addition is very much darker, the ground 
eolour being dark brown. Dr. Lindsey has seen this specimen and pronounced it corvus, believing 
that the brown colour is due to age or some other cause. It was taken on June 20th, 1904. 
The life-history and food-plant are unknown, although the series which I took at Goldstream 
in August, 1920, were all beaten from the common yarrow (Achillia millefolium), which may 
be its food-plant. I did not observe it on any other plant. 
11. Olp2MATOPHORUS MONODACTYLUS Linnzeus, Syst. Nat. (Hd. 10), page 542, 1758. The 
colour of the primaries is very variable, ranging through shades of grey, yellow, and brown to 
various mixtures of these colours. The fore wings are very narrow, but have unusually long 
fringes at the anal angle of the seconddobe. There is a black spot before base of cleft, some- 
times extended to it, a dot in cell, some at tips of veins in both lobes, and some black scales 
streaking the wing near inner margin. Secondaries and fringes of both wings brownish-grey. 
Expanse 21-28 mm. Thorax similar to primaries. Abdomen brownish or greyish with some 
dark dashes, and a narrow dorsal stripe concclorous with thorax, which widens anteriorly and 
is usually margined with white toward its junction with the thorax. ‘There is usually a crest of 
scales present on the upper surface of the hind tarsi. 
This is our commonest species on Vancouver Island and it has been taken in every month of 
the year. The most common coloration is tawny, with a sprinkling of grey forms and a few 
red-brown ones. I have not seen any specimens from the Mainland, which is rather surprising, 
as it occurs right across the continent from the Atlantie to the Pacific and from Mexico to 
Canada. It also occurs in Europe, Asia, and North Africa. It feeds on a large number of 
different food-plants. 
The following eight species recorded in the 1906 B.C. Check-list are omitted from this paper 
for the reasons given :— 
Trichoptilus lobidactylus Witch. Recorded from Wellington. I have examined the specimens 
labelled as this species in the Bryant collection and from which the records were taken for the 
above list, and find that they are all Pterophorus delawaricus Zeller without a doubt. 
Oxyptilus (Pterophorus) periscelidactylus Fitch. Recorded from Wellington. The speci- 
mens labelled as such in the Bryant collection are Platyptilia punctidactyla Haw. : 
Platyptilia shaste Wals. Recorded trom Wellington.- This was rather an extraordinary 
determination, as specimens bearing this label were undoubtedly Oidwmatophorus cineraceus 
Vish. A totally different insect and bearing no resemblance, either generically or specifically. 
Platyptilia grandis Wais. and Platyptilia modesta Wals. Both recorded from Wellington. 
Specimens bearing these labels were nothing more or less than specimens of the common 
carduidactyla, which had appareutly been separated according to their size; the latter species 
being very variable in this respect, as 1 haye specimens ranging from 18 to 28 mm. in expanse. 
Pterophorus (Oidemutophorus) brucci Fern. Recorded from Shawnigan Lake by Dr. Dyar 
in his “Kootenai List.” In his annotation, he states: “Two specimens . . . in poor 
condition, but seeming to agree with specimens from Colorado, so named for me by Dr. C. H. 
Fernald.” 
IT am rather inclined to doubt the correctness of Dr. Dyar’s determination of this species on 
the following grounds: (1) That Urueci Fern. and mathewianus Zell. have a somewhat super- 
ficial resemblance; (2) that Dr. Dyar’s specimens were in poor condition and he himself was 
not positive that they were conspecific with his Colorado specimens of brucei; (38) that 
apparently Dr. Dyar did not have at that time specimens of mathcwianus for comparison ; (4) 
that specimens sent to me by Mr. Cockle, of Kaslo, as brucei have been determined by Dr. Lindsey 
as mathewianus; and (5) that of 250 specimens of this family recently examined from 
many diverse localities in the Province, not a single specimen turned up which has been even 
doubtfully referred to brucei. Taking all these facts into consideration, it is more reasonable 
to suppose that Dr. Dyar’s specimens were in reality matherwianus, which was originally described 
” 
’ 

