358 BULLETIN UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 



ture and moisture, and sudden changes of heat and cold. The driving 

 storms of wind were very favorable to the wide distribution of insect 

 life 5 but these winds were generally, from the mountains toward the 

 plains, and should have increased the fauna of the latter at the expense 

 of the former. 



No living specimens of Cantharis nuttalU were seen, but in Manitou 

 Park a single dead specimen was found beneath a piece of wood. 



In the mountain-gorges near Clear Creek CaQon and in Beaver 

 Brook Gulch, various kinds of beetles were on wing in the sunshine, 

 flying from the peaks above, and lodging on the sides of rocks, trees, 

 and fallen wood. A few specimens of several species of Ceramhycidce 

 and Biiprestidce were thus procured at the same time with grasshoppers, 

 and beautiful red and steel-blue moths of the group Zygcenidce. The 

 delicate and showy Omoiala vermiculata Grote was met with early in 

 August in full daylight, flying over Clear Creek in the caiion, and also 

 over Beaver Brook. Its flight was languid, but strongly reminded me 

 of that of Heliconia charetonia Linn. It would sail about for a few 

 minutes, and then lodge upon one of the willows or other bushes pro- 

 jecting over the rapids, and then take flight again, flying and resting 

 at short intervals. At Bijou, a few beetles were taken, of species differ- 

 ent from those found at either of the other stations which I visited. 

 Among them Pyrota engelmanni Lee. was the most conspicuous. It 

 "was quite common upon the flowers of a Golden-rod, which grew low 

 and bushy. Many pairs were seen and some taken while sexually 

 united, the males being always smaller than the females. 



In the same situations, as well as on the smaller sunflowers, Epicauta 

 pensylvanica DG., Nemogjiatha inimaculata Say, and Zonitis atripennis Say 

 were quite common. Most of these insects imbedded themselves in 

 the pollen of the flowers, and flew from one to the other. They car- 

 ried considerable quantities of the pollen upon their heads and wing- 

 covers, and might readily have aided in the fertilization of those flowers. 



A few specimens of Euryomia inda Linn, were buzzing near the 

 ground in the vicinity of the railroad-track, not alighting for more than 

 an instant at a time, and then ofl" again in a tortuous line, as if they 

 were bent upon searching the ground for lost treasure. Flowers of a 

 few species were quite abundant in this region, and, upon every head, a 

 beetle, fly, or wasp was settled, either buried in the mass of stamens 

 and petals, or running rapidly over the surface. 



Orthoptera of many kinds were very numerous at this place, particu- 

 larly of the Grasshopper tribe. The large, lubberly Brachypeplus mag- 

 nus Girard was abundant in several of its forms, and in all three of its 

 states of color. It inhabits especially the undulated spots where the 

 grass is taller, and often in the midst of the patches of low sunflowers. 

 Many of the latter plants are no more than a foot in height, while bear- 

 ing a flower as much as four inches in diameter. Upon one of these 

 a large female of Brachypeplus crawled, and began to eat the petals of 



