OF WASHINGTON. 317 



and that they rest upon the pupa skin for quite a while extend 

 ing their wings. At this time if the surface of the water is 

 ruffled by wind many are upset and drowned. With other 

 aquatic Diptera living in more rapid streams the maturation must 

 be brought about much more quickly. Recently, at Niagara 

 Falls, he had picked up a rock from the rapids and a dipterous 

 insect had actually burst out of the pupa and flown away like an 

 arrow from a bow. He thought this must be common among 

 Diptera living in such localities. Mr. Howard said that this was 

 undoubtedly the case with Simulium, a statement which Mr. 

 Marlatt substantiated by quoting Mr. G. L. Frierson, who said 

 that he had seen adult Simuliums popping out of water in such 

 numbers as to give the water the appearance of boiling. Mr. 

 Howard said that the adult Simulium was almost virtually aquatic, 

 referring to its egg-laying habits where the adult certainly enters 

 the water to oviposit. Mr. Benton, referring to the food habits 

 of adult mosquitoes, said that they are very fond of honey. He 

 has frequently seen them feeding upon exposed honey in great 

 numbers. Apropos to the slow expanding of the wings of adult 

 insects, he stated that where the issuing of the adult from a pupa 

 with the honey-bee is retarded to any considerable extent the bee 

 finally comes out ready for immediate flight. Where there is no 

 retardation, however, it takes some time to expand and harden 

 its wings. The question of the food of the male mosquito was 

 brought up and Mr. Mann stated that according to Dr. Dimmock 

 experiments failed to prove that it can pierce the skin. A study 

 of the mouth-parts substantiated this idea. While the male 

 mosquito has a mouth which will allow it to suck up liquids, it 

 apparently is not capable of piercing either skin of warm-blooded 

 animals or tissues of plants. Mr. Ashmead referred to the so- 

 called blind mosquito of Florida which some people down there 

 thought to be a male mosquito. It is, however, a species of 

 Chironomus. 



Mr. Heidemann exhibited specimens of Rheumatobates 

 rileyi in the fully winged form and said that only four specimens 

 are known, two of which he has collected near Washington and 

 two collected by Mr. C. E. Chambliss, in Tennessee. Dr. 

 Meinert doubts the existence of winged specimens. Mr. Heide- 



