Vol. XXX] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS 243 



and night-flying species, a few Buprestidae, numerous Chry- 

 somelidae, Byrrhidae, Coccinellidae and Scarabaeidae, and 

 some Elateridae, Rhynchophora and other miscellaneous 

 groups. Some of the specimens were merely benumbed, oth- 

 ers quite dead, while still others were badly disintegrated. The 

 more recent arrivals were on the surface of the snow, but 

 those which had been trapped earlier were sometimes several 

 inches below the surface, at the bottom of small shafts, where 

 the heat of their bodies, or the greater amount of heat at- 

 tracted by their darker coloring, had caused them to be de- 

 posited by the more rapid melting of the snow in their im- 

 mediate neighborhood. On the snowfields in the Sierras the 

 same thing has been observed. In fact, so general is this con- 

 dition during the early summer months that it is wise for col- 

 lectors planning work in the high mountains to make arrange- 

 ments to take advantage of this. One's eyes should always 

 be protected by smoked glasses and the face blackened as the 

 glare of the snow on bright days is very intense. The insects 

 are very conspicuous against the white background, so are 

 easily seen and besides contain many prizes. One may also 

 often have the good fortune to appear upon the scene soon 

 after a mountain storm, when the booty will sometimes be 

 very great. These high winds sometimes lift up hosts of 

 many of the more powerful flying insects and leave them 

 chilled and stranded on the icy slopes of the higher mountains. 

 The alpine butterfly, Ocncis ivallda Mead, has several times 

 been found so distributed on the high mountains of the south- 

 ern Sierras. 



About the bare peaks and ridges insects are also quite evi- 

 dent. Here, however, they are alive and active. Certain 

 kinds even seem to have a particular liking for such localities, 

 as for instance among the Diptera, the Bombylidae, Syrphidae 

 and Tachinidae. Among the butterflies several species have 

 also been noted which seem to take delight in seeking the 

 highest points of the ridges. Papilio zolicaon Boisd. is one of 

 these, and the alpine species of Picris also favor such places. 

 The peaks are also favorite congregating regions for vast 

 quantities of Coccinellidae, especially Ilippodamia ^-signata 



