WYEOMYIA SMITHII 99 



" Altogether Mr, Brakeley sent me, prior to May 1st, some fifteen to twenty 

 lots of larvae, numbering many hundreds of specimens. All these were kept 

 in original pitcher leaf water and this never became foul. It required the 

 contents of from forty to seventy-five pitchers to make a full pint of liquid, and 

 the larvEe numbered from two to twenty or more in each leaf. Culture after 

 culture was closed out during the summer; but though the conditions for all 

 the larvas in a single jar were absolutely the same, the rate of development 

 varied in each individual. One quart jar, containing nearly 200 larvae, received 

 in early March, developed adults throughout the summer, and this was not 

 closed out until September 13, 1901, six months after its receipt, when there 

 were yet a few larvae, two or three pupae and one or two adults ! These larvae 

 had been surely hatched in November, 1900, and had remained in that con- 

 dition for certainly ten months, including the entire summer. 



" May 31, June 1 and 2, were spent at Lahaway with Mr. Brakeley, and during 

 those days the swamps for some distance around were visited and dozens of 

 pitcher plants closely examined. 



" In the areas flooded during the winter by cranberry bog operations, no 

 larvae were found; but as soon as the flood line was passed, larvae were taken; 

 generally half a dozen or more to a leaf. But none occurred except in the 

 leaves. This point was tested very thoroughly throughout the season and it is 

 absolutely certain that this little species does not occur anywhere outside of the 

 receptacles formed by Sarracenia, except by accident. In the colder, shaded parts 

 of the swamp, where springs occurred, larva only were found. In the warmer 

 areas pupae were common and, in some places, where water and moss surround- 

 ing the plant were actually tepid, the insects had already emerged and nothing 

 but empty pupa shells could be found. It seems to be entirely a matter of 

 temperature, and in some of the coldest places, no transformations would be 

 likely to occur much before late June. It is certain that most hibernating 

 larvae live from early November to late May or early June, a period of fully 

 six months. No adults could be found and certainly none made any attempt 

 to bite. Nor could egg masses or young larvae be discovered at this time. New 

 leaves were developing and few yet contained any water. Such of these as were 

 examined contained no insect life and only here and there one had trapped 

 insects ; none had begun to digest or assimilate the animal food. 



" An open swamp at the head of a cranberry bog had most of the leaves with 

 pupal shells only, but though there must have been hundreds of adults about, 

 not one could be found flying, nor could we stir them up. In a deep, cold, 

 huckleberry swamp, only larvae were found. It was fair to conclude from the 

 three days' tramp that no summer brood of larvae had yet begun, and it seemed 

 strongly indicated that the insects would not bite, even if given the opportunity. 

 In confirmation it may be said that late in the summer Mr. Brakeley saw speci- 

 mens flying, and though there must have been thousands of others round about, 

 none made any effort to disturb him. 



" July 3d the leaves contained half and full-grown larvae, but neither pupaa 

 nor very small larva. July 13th old and new leaves contained very small larvae- - 

 evidently of recent date, while the old leaves had also grown larvae and pupae. 

 There was, therefore, a new series of larvse and probably the first summer 

 brood. July 33d, the older leaves had very few larvae, but almost as many very 

 small as large ones. The new leaves had all stages, from very small larvae 

 to pupae. The indications were, therefore, that the first summer brood was 

 coming to maturity, devloping in from fifteen to twenty days, while there were 

 yet adult individuals from the winter larva that were ovipositing. From the 

 small numbers of young larvae in individual leaves, the indications were that 

 eggs were laid either singly or in small groups. 



