THP: LEPIDOPTERA OF THE KOOTENAI DISTRICT OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. By Harrison G. Dyar. Custodi'i)) of Lepuloptcra. The Kootonjii district of British Colunihia occupies the southeastern corner of the province, immediately north of the western part of jMontana, Idaho, and the eastern end of Washington. It covers the headwatei's of the Columbia River, which here makes a great bond around the Purcell Range to the north, while the Kootenai River, starting at the same point, makes a similar bend to the south into Montana and Idaho and returns to join the Columbia to the west. The country thus inclosed is practically a solid mass of mountains. Several closel}^ parallel ranges, the Rocky Mountains, Purcell Range, and Selkirks, traverse it from north to south, so that from an elevation nothing can be seen in all directions but a mass of mountain peaks. None of these arc of great height, but average 6,000 to 10,000 feet. The Jiarrow valleys are filled by long lakes, widenings or branciies of the Columbia or Kootenai rivers. The surface of the country is, therefore, steep and rugged and is well forested with coniferous trees. This forest has not been impaired to a perceptible extent ])v civiliza-tion, though large areas are periodically Inirned over. The resulting waste is graduall}" covered with a growth of small deciduous trees and bushes. The small town of Kaslo on Kootenai Lake is in the heart of this district, and at that point the principal collections of Lepidop-tera have been made. Three months were spent here in collecting during tlic sununer of 1903. I was assisted by Mr. A. N. Caudell and Mr. R. P. Currie, as well as by the experience of Mr. J. W. Cockle, who has been long a resident in Kaslo and has made a local collection of Lepidoptera at that place for several yeai's. I slr.dl fi-e((uently refer to his collection in the following pages. I am especially ind(>l)ted to Doctor Hartin, of Kaslo, for the loan of ids excellent microscope duriup' the summer. Proceedings U. S. National Museum, Vol. XXVII— No. 1376. 77S>
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