ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY 
according to single families the same sequence of Orders could not be 
maintained, .since even among those Orders lowest on my scale we find 
families which are well adapted to stand the exposure : 
ist Group Insects ill fitted to stand immersion : 
Diptera, Neuroptera. 
2d Group Orders that occupy an intermediate place, arranged in 
an ascending series from those that are less to those 
that are better able to withstand immersion : 
Orthoptera, Hemiptera, Lepidoptera. 
3d Group Orders that are eminently fitted to endure immersion : 
Hymenoptera, Coleoptera. 
DIPTERA. These are rather poorly represented among the insects 
washed ashore. There are not many Tipulidce, and among them a still 
living specimen is rarely to be seen. There are numerous Mtiscidce, 
Syrphidce, Asilidce, Conopidce, Anthracidce, and Bombyliidce, but' few liv_ 
ing specimens among them. A notable exception is found in the Bibi- 
ontdce, which, as a rule, are found in excellent condition. In this Order, 
as well as in the others, we meet also with another striking phenomenon, 
viz., there are lots of the mostdelicate forms, e. g., Cecidomyidce, Sciarida>, 
Mycetophilidce, being washed ashore unharmed ; whereas the larger and 
more robust species are apparently much less capable of enduring immer- 
sion. But this may be explained in the following way : First, small and deli- 
cate insects are poorer flyers than larger insects. This does of course not im- 
ply that all large insects are good flyers, but only means that the best flyers 
are to be found only among the large forms. These delicate Diptera cer- 
tainly fly only a short distance out into the lake, and have then a good 
chance of being driven ashore within a short time. Moreover, they are so 
light that when they drop in the water they are but little immersed, and 
are then washed ashore dry and unharmed. Second, while it is easy to 
see living and moving specimens of even very small insects, the eye of the 
observer is not attracted to the dead specimens which cling to the various 
objects e. g., pieces of bark, other insects, etc. 
The absence of Black-flies (Simulndce) among the insects found on the 
beach is also noticeable. These abound near the woods, as is only too well 
known to the visitors of that region, and breed in the numerous rivers and 
creeks some distance from the lake where the water is still rapid. They 
often fly great distances from the breeding places, but dislike to come near 
the open shore, and do not allow themselves to be driven by the wind out 
into the lake. 
NEUROPTERA (including PSEUDONEUROPTERA). Although for the larg- 
est portion water-born, these insects are ill-fitted to sustain, in the imago 
state, immersion in water, and the remarkable thing is that those families 
which are terrestrial in the earlier stages seem to have a superior resisting 
power. Thus among the Psocidif? and Hemerobiidoe, which are numer- 
ously represented, the greater portion of the specimens washed ashore are 
