CHIRONOMIM. TII 



have not been much studied by entomologists ; about 

 one thousand species are known throughout the world. 

 They will be distinguished from the mosquitoes, \vhich 

 they resemble very much, by the costal vein not being 

 continuous on the posterior side of the wing. The an- 

 tennae are usually conspicuous, especially in the males, 

 although agreeing in this respect with male mosquitoes. 

 The larvae are soft-skinned, worm-like, often blood-red 

 in color and usually aquatic, as are also the active pupae, 

 though some live in decomposing vegetable matter, or in 

 the earth. These midges are often seen, especially in 

 the early spring or in the autumn, in immense swarms, 

 dancing in the air, and have doubtless in many cases 

 given rise to exaggerated stories of mosquitoes. Over 

 meadows in the Rocky Mountains the writer has seen 

 them rise at nightfall in the most incredible numbers, 

 producing noise like that of a distant waterfall, and audi- 

 ble for a considerable distance. While at rest they 

 usually raise their forelegs in the air and keep them con- 

 stantly vibrating. Aquatic larvae may be frequently met 

 with in standing water, often extremely delicate little 

 creatures, so transparent as to be hardly distinguishable; 

 they have been dredged from nearly one thousand feet 

 below the surface of Lake Superior. 



Most of the species are inoffensive, or actually benefi- 

 cial as scavengers. There are some, however, belonging 

 to the genus Ceratopogon and its allies, and known gen- 

 erally as midges, or punkies, which have the power of 

 sucking blood and are extremely annoying. In the White 

 Mountains, at the seashore, along mountain streams gen- 

 erally, and in the West Indies they are especially trouble- 

 some. The larvae live in the flowing sap of trees, in 

 decaying vegetation, under fallen leaves, or in water. 



I have included in this family, and have added to Pro- 

 fessor Johannsen's table the diagnosis of the genus 



