92 B. C. ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



The collector is often at a loss to understand why he is unable tC) 

 find the gender of a species of which the opposite gender is plentiful, 

 and as an instance of this let me instance Cyanirus nigrescens Fletcher. 

 The freshly emerged males may he found in great numbers in almost 

 any damp spot along the roads, but there are no females with them. 

 An excursion into the brush upon a sunny hillside will probably result 

 in finding numbers of females of this species which are flying around or 

 resting on the willow or Coeanothus branches, whilst occasionally a 

 poor battered male will be seen flying amongst them. Very rarely a 

 bright, freshly emerged male will be found consorting with them, but 

 such occurrence is unusual. Not until they are faded and worn do the 

 males seem to become attracted by the females. 



The same remarks will apply to Rusticus anna. 



The habit of some of the Argynids are curious. Argynis monticolor 

 var rhodope has a peculiar migratory habit. In the early morning it may 

 be found in abundance along the lower \-alleys, but as the sun comes 

 out and warms the upper mountain slopes it flies upwards. The whole 

 brood seem to take wing in one direction, always upward towards the 

 snow fields and the grassy slopes lately emerged from their snow cover- 

 ing. Here they disport themselves during the heat of the July days. 

 If they ever return to the lower altitudes again I am unable to record, 

 but some must do so or else there would be no brood in the valley the 

 following years. While speaking of the habit of the high mountain 

 species, allow me to dwell for a moment on the curious habit that all 

 high mountain forms have of laying over on their side when resting. 

 One of my favorite hunting grounds is situated in a low pass between 

 the headwaters of two creeks, which are so located that the west wind 

 will blow up both of them, and when the gust of wind strikes the most 

 westerly it rushes up the creek and blows over the summit towards the 

 east. \Vhilst the wind continues, nearly all the butterflies will come up 

 over the pass and settle with their wings folded sideways in the direction 

 of the wind. Suddenly the wind, of which the main gust has reached the 

 lower valley of the more easterly creek, comes back up the creek and 

 reverses the direction of the breeze at the summit. Instantaneously 

 almost every butterfly is in the air and will settle again under the shelter 

 of the slope on the opposite side. (Jn a breezy day this change may take 

 place every few minutes, with the resulting migration of the butterflies 

 over the summit. This haliit nf laying over on their side has been noted 

 by many writers, and it becomes habitual with species inhabiting the 

 high mountain slopes. Even when there is no perceptible wind the;' 

 invariably assume this position, while even the same species when found 

 in the lower valleys will as invariably be noticed in an upright position. 

 Another peculiar thing that may be noticed in both butterflies and moths 

 when flying over a glacier: The temperature of the air for several feet 



