DIPTERA. 441 



except where it has become firmly established as a part of a 

 specific name. The Wheat-midge and the Clover-seed 

 Midge are examples of names of this kind ; it would not be 

 wise to attempt to change these names, although the insects 

 they represent belong to the Gall-gnat family, and hence are 

 not true midges. 



Midges often appear in large swarms, dancing in the air, 

 especially towards the close of day. Professor Williston 

 states that, over meadows in the Rocky Mountains, he has 

 seen them rise at nightfall in most incredible numbers, pro- 

 ducing a buzzing or humming noise like that of a distant 

 waterfall, and audible for a considerable distance. 



The larvae are either aquatic or terrestrial ; they have 

 two pairs of spiracles, one at each end of the body, or are 

 furnished with tracheal gills. Some of the pupae are free 

 and active, others are quiescent ; some of the latter remain 

 partially enclosed in the split larval skin. 



Many of our species belong to the genus Chironomus 

 (Chi-ron'o-mus). These are mosquito-like in form, but vary 

 greatly in size, some being smaller than our common mos- 

 quitoes, and others much larger. The head is small, the 

 snout, comparatively short, and the antennae of the males 

 very bushy. The larvae so far as they are known are aquatic. 

 Many of them are blood-red in color ; and as they live in 

 standing water they are sometimes found in vessels contain- 

 ing rain-water, where they appear like bits of animated red 

 thread. The pupae of this genus, like those of mosquitoes, 

 are active. 



To the genus Ceratopogon (Cer-a-to-po'gon) belong the 

 small midges commonly known as punkies. Of these there 

 are many species, which vary greatly in size and color. 

 The body and legs are not as slender as in the preceding 

 genus, and consequently the insects appear much less mos- 

 quito-like. Certain minute species are sometimes very 

 abundant, and extremely annoying on account of their bites. 

 We have found them exceeding troublesome in the Adiron- 



