34 B. C. ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY 



THREE YEARS COLLECTING IN THE LILLOOET DISTRICT 



By A. W. A, Phair, Lillooet, B.C. 



Don't let me frighten you, as luckily for my friends, all I know 

 about my collection of three years gathering-, or rather the part that 

 may interest you, will not take long to tell, as I will try and omit the 

 part familiar to all collectors. 



When a boy my teacher (Morrison) had shown me how to mount 

 butterflies, and if I had known what I know now I expect I could have 

 given the world quite a few new things, as I must have had such 

 butterflies as Erebia vidleri before known to Elwes. I believe the type 

 came from Seton Lake. Not knowing how to take care of my collection, 

 of course most of those collected years ago were entirely destroyed, but 

 I found a few specimens a couple of years ago in the attic in shoe boxes, 

 in perfect condition. I can't understand why the moths didn't destroy 

 them, as moths are very hard to keep out of my glass cases. One thing 

 I have never forgotten was getting Parnassius smintheus probably var. 

 magnus, about twenty years ago, a hundred feet or so aliove town. Ten 

 years or so ago it seems to me that I saw hundreds near the summit nf 

 Mt. McLean. The last three years I have only seen them at from 4,000 

 to 6,000 feet. Last year there were none i>n the summit. Can anyone 

 account for it being so low down that one time? It A\as not likely it 

 was breeding here then, as it lives on sedum and saxifraga, which are 

 only found high up. 



It was our good old friend, the late Tom Wilson, who put me on 

 the right track. I collected Buprestids for him, luit couldn't resist 

 starting a collection of butterflies, although he told me to leave that to 

 the boys, and for me to take up a group not so well known. The moun- 

 tains were always my friends, but it was not until I knew how to collect 

 scientifically that they became of such great interest, it was not until 

 after E. M. Anderson had taken two specimens of Oeneis bea".:i that I 

 had any conception that I still might turn vip something of interest to the 

 outside world. With the idea of becoming suddenly famous, I made up 

 my mind that I would capture an Oeneis bea^.i if possible, although 

 Anderson had been a week in capturing two. I watched the barometer 

 until I felt sure that we were going to have fine settled weather. It is 

 no use attempting to collect high up in liad weather. So an hour or so 

 Ijefore daylight on an August morning, 1 started out for a day of chase 

 and destruction that I shall never forget. At about 5,000 ft. I rested 

 for breakfast, and if I were a poet I would lie still writing verses describ- 

 ing the grandeur of the scene, the rising sun gilding the tip of th? 

 mountain in the distance, and the lieds of lupins and yellow lillies at 

 my feet. The breathing of an air so pure, the stillness of it all, ma'ces 

 one wonder how poor man has fallen and got away from God's wondrous 

 world. Reaching timber line at aliout six. I still pressed onward even 



