﻿1848. BULL-DOG FLY. 99 



June 2Sd. — The moschetoes were exceedingly nu- 

 merous and troublesome during the night and this 

 morning. Our route lay through Sandy Lake and 

 Grassy River, where the country retains the same 

 general aspect that it has on Sand-liy and Serpent 

 Lakes, and where the prevailing rock is a brownish- 

 red, fine-grained sienite, resembling a sandstone. 

 The same rock abounds in Knee Lake, where, how- 

 ever, we saw, for the first time since leaving the south 

 end of Lake Winipeg, fragments of white quartz- 

 ose sandstone ; but did not find the stone in situ. 

 The sienite, when traced, is found to pass into 

 hornblendic granite, by the addition of scales of 

 mica to some parts of the same beds. The high 

 banks of Knee Rapid consist of sandy loam crammed 

 with boulders. 



The Tabatiiis, named by the voyagers " Bull- 

 dog," has been common for two days. The cur- 

 rent notion is, that this fly cuts a piece of flesh 

 from his victim, and at first sight there seems to 

 be truth in the opinion. The fly alights on the 

 hands or face so gently that if not seen he is 

 scarcely felt until he makes his wound, Avhich 

 produces a stinging sensation as if the skin had 

 been touched by a live coal. The hand is quickly 

 raised towards the spot, and the insect flies oif. 

 A drop of blood, oozing from the puncture, gives 

 it the appearance of a gaping wound, and the 



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