24 



VISIT TO THE HOME OF CHIONOBAS GIGAS, BUTLER. 



The paper which follows was contributed by Rev. G. W. Taylor, of Victoria, British' 

 Columbia. 



When my friend, Mr. James Fletcher, the Dominion Entomologist, was staying 

 with me in May and June. 1885, we made an excursion together to Mount Finlayson 

 (an isolated conical mountain, situated at the head of the Saanich Inlet, about ten 

 miles from Victoria), which he thought must be the locality where the original specimens 

 of Ghionobas Gigas were taken by Mr. Crotch, in 1876. Our visit was on June 15th. 

 Mr. Fletcher had been there previously in search of this butterfly on April 26th and 

 May 22nd. On none of these occasions, however, did we capture Gigas, but we were 

 well rewarded by taking many other species not previously seen by either of us on 

 Vancouver Island. Amongst them my first specimen of the somewhat abundant (in 

 British Columbia), Parnassius Clodius, which was mentioned by Mr. Crotch as the 

 consort of G. Gigas at the time of his visit. 



We concluded we were too early for the latter. Mr. Fletcher left for Eastern 

 Canada the next day, and I could not find an opportunity of again visiting the mountain 

 that year. 



In 1886 I was at the same place with a couple of friends on June 29th, but though 

 well repaid for our trouble in other ways, we caught not a glimpse of Gigas. 



This year we determined that he should be caught if possible, and at last success 

 favoured us. 



A picnic was arranged for May 17th. Our party consisted of Prof. Macoun,. of 

 Ottawa, and his son ; Mr. J. W. Tolmie (an enthusiatic Entomologist), and about a dozen 

 other ladies and gentlemen. Again no success : we were much too early. 



We tried again on June 30th (this is a very late season for insects in Vancouver 

 Island), and this time had better luck. Prof. Macoun and Mr. Tolmie were again with 

 me and a party similar to the last. 



We started from home betimes and were at Goldstream House, the nearest point 

 by road, by eight a.m. There is a tiresome walk of some two miles through the forest 

 to the base of the hill, and then a stiff climb of 1,300 feet to the summit. Our progress 

 was slow on account of the ladies, but we had all accomplished the ascent, and enjoyed 

 our luncheon by 12 o'clock. It was then that the first Gigas was sighted, and after an 

 exciting chase captured by Mr. Tolmie. For several hours the hunt was kept up, and 

 as a result we obtained between us six or seven specimens of our long sought-for butterfly. 

 Only two of these fell into my hands, and one was forthwith sent to Mr. Fletcher that 

 there should be no doubt as to its being genuine Gigas. 



Prof. Macoun and his son spent several days at Goldstream, and secured several 

 additional specimens, and Mr. Tolmie and I not quite contented with our success paid 

 another visit to the mountain on July 12. 



The day was much too dull for butterflies to be out in any numbers, but we managed 

 to catch about six more, as well as a few other species of interest. All our specimens were 

 taken on or near the top of the mountain. C. Gigas on the wing looks at first sight very 

 much like a large Argynnis. and I am pretty confident that we saw one specimen of it on 

 the first visit I made with Mr. Fletcher in June, 1885. That season was at least three 

 weeks earlier than this, and as all our specimens this year were more or less worn I 

 should say that the proper time for Gigas will be about the second week in June, and I 

 think it will be found to occur commonly enough on Mount Finlayson, and possibly also 

 on the many similar hills to be found in oth' r parts of Vancouver Island. 



The locality is not very easy of access, but it is a most interesting one both entomo- 

 logically and botanically. Here are found no less than 15 out of our 20 native species of 

 ferns, and many other rare plants, as will be seen when Prof. Macoun publishes the 

 results of his season's work on the Island. 



litre too, I have met with many interesting insects. Amongst them the following 

 butterflies that have not yet occurred to me in the immediate neighbourhood of Victoria : — 

 PersiuM (?), Parnassius Clodius, Argynnis Rhodope, Lycozna Phileros, Lycaina Melissa, 

 Nisoniades and Eudamus Pylades. 



