PROCEEDINGS, 1919 7 



each hind-wing. In both the previous B.C. Check Lists its Eastern 

 congener comyntas Godt. has been listed from the Interior, but this is 

 an error, as comyntas does not occur in Canada any further west than 

 about Winnipeg. It is a debatable question, however, whether they are 

 two distinct species or merely geographical races of each other. The 

 mistake in our local lists probably arises from the fact that Vancouver 

 Island specimens show a greater paucity of spotting on the under side 

 than do those from the Okanagan district. The latter is more nearly 

 typical and some day our Vancouver Island form may need a racial 

 name. The most distinguishing characteristics of comyntas is the red 

 lunules near the anal angle on secondaries on the upper side, which are 

 nut met with in amyntula. 



No. 2. Plebeius scudderi Edw. or Scudder's Blue. The genus 

 Plebeius is the largest in this sub-family and comprises thirty-one forms, 

 of which ten are taken in British Columbia. Scudderi was not listed in 

 the 1906 List but was recorded from Osoyoos in the 1904 List. This 

 latter was an error of misidentification and was really P. melissa Edw., 

 which occurs throughout that district. Scudderi was described from 

 Lake Winnipeg, and the only specimens of this species taken in B.C. 

 are from the Atlin district. They are much closer to the typical form 

 than eastern specimens going under the same name. 



No. 3. Plebeius melissa Edw. or the Orange-margined Blue. 

 Through some reason or other this was omitted from the 1906 Check 

 List. This was rather strange as it occurs right through southern B.C. 

 from Vancouver Island to the Rocky Mountains. It is not nearly as 

 common as many of the other "Blues," and on Vancouver Island seems 

 rather scarce. I do not think that I have taken a dozen specimens in 

 the ten years I have been collecting here. 



No. 4. Plebeius anna Edw. This is probably one of the most 

 local of our "blue" butterflies as so far I have only seen specimens from 

 the Hope Mountains. It is recognized ])y its nearly white under side 

 and the diminution of the black spots, also the orange sub-marginal 

 band is reduced to a series of yellowish brown spots. There is a smaller 

 form occurring at Kaslo and in the Similkameen district that may be a 

 dwarf form of this species or a race of scudderi. Unfortunately the 

 specimens I have been able to obtain so far have l)een too worn to make 

 definite determination possible. 



No. 5. Plebeius aquilo Bdv. This is commonly called the Alpine 

 Blue on account of its only being taken at high altitudes. Atlin seems 

 to be the only locality in B.C. from which aquilo is recorded. It is one 

 of the smallest of our "blue" butterflies, and in the male is of a bluish- 

 grey colour on the upper side. 



No. 6. Plebeius aquilo race rustica Edw. This is the form which 

 is wrongly listed in both of our Check Lists as podarce Eeld., wliich 



