PROCEEDINGS. 1021 43 



These plants are arctic in distrii^ntion and persist from timber line 

 to summit 7,850 ft. Some of them will be found up to 10.000 where that 

 elevation is reached. 



On our visit early in July the snow was just commencing to go on 

 these alpine slopes anfl Ijut little was moving; but in August insect life 

 uas abundant in this zone. Various species of grasshoppers are to be 

 found. lepidoi)tera are numerous and in fact all orders of insects are 

 represented, often by rarely taken species, the joy of the cabinet system- 

 atist. Parnassius butterflies were abundant here in August, as were 

 blues of several species. That very common .habit of several alpine 

 species of butterflies of closnig their wings and turning on their side 

 was noticed. The most insect frequented flowers on these alpine slopes 

 were the arnicas (A. latifolia and parryi), a solidago (S. corymbosa) and 

 two species of Agoseris, dandelion-like plants. The richly coloured 

 willow herb, Epilobium latifolium was neglected except by bees. 



I would like to record here while dealing with this subject an inter- 

 esting little episode I witnessed. Away on the side of one of these lone 

 Imre wind-swept ridges was a small semi-sh'eltered depression still 

 green and carpeted with a lovely btmch of Arnicas : collecting was good 

 here. On one of the clumps of arnica I noticed a very large, heavy 

 bodied bumble bee ; it %vas busy robbing one of the waving heads, which 

 having completed, it attempted to cross to another nearby whenever the 

 titful gusts of wind blew one in its direction. Several unsuccessful 

 attempts were made to hold with the front pair of legs the waving 

 blossom, and at least half a minvite passed before it was at length suc- 

 cessful in holding and scrambling over on to another flower without 

 ha\ing recourse to flight. I think this shows more reason, than that 

 quality described as instinct by naturalists. 



Another interesting sight was some clumps of an alpine willow 

 (Salix arctica) about 18 inches high covered with the pupae of a chry- 

 somelid (leaf-eating) beetle. They had completely skeletonized the 

 foliage and the adults were just commencing to emerge. It is a rare 

 species and I have not yet received the name. There must have been 

 thousands on these few bushes and a strong inky odour was prevalent 

 in their proximity. 



Some distance above timber line, at 7,000 ft. to be exact, two small 

 lakes, each about Y^ acre in extent, were found. Here tvvo species of 

 water beetle, a tipulid (daddy-long-legs) and a dragonfly were noticed. 

 al.'^o some caddis larvae. These lakes can only be free from ice for 

 about eight weeks in the year. In the mud by the margin the footprint 

 of a wader (curlew?) was noticed, thus exemplifying one of the methods 

 by which water insects probably reach these isolated places. 



Insect life was common at or near the very summit; grasshoppers 

 were plentiful and several small butterflies were taken within a few 

 yards of the top, wherever a slight depression gave shelter from the 



