50 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [Feb., '04 



to the bottom. This is a singular character, and in confine- 

 ment they have never been observed to rise voluntarily to the 

 top, for air. When disturbed they sail rather than wriggle 

 toward the surface ; but immediately descend as soon as quiet 

 is restored. So inconspicuous and transparent are they, that 

 a jar containing them would be set aside as empty, unless 

 critically examined, and this, together with their habit of 

 hiding amongst the leaves at the bottom of the pools, renders 

 them difficult to secure. 



A number of pupae were brought in with the larvae July 

 2gth, and from these came i $ , July 3oth, and 2 $ , July 3ist. 

 Some specimens of the larva were preserved, others pupated 

 and yielded adults August 2,3 9 ; August 3, i 9 ; August 

 4, i 9 ; August 5, i $ ; August 6, i 9 . The period of the 

 pupal stage averaged about 3 days and offers nothing abnormal. 



Another collection was made in the same locality August 

 1 3th, and a mixed lot of nearly full grown larvae and pupae 

 were secured. From the pupae i adult emerged August 

 1 5th, and 8 , August iSth; a very long period. Larvae 

 began to pupate August i5th, and adults were secured as fol- 

 lows : August 19, 5 <? ; August 20, 7 < i 9 ; August 21, 



2 $ i 9 . The average duration of the pupal stage in this lot 

 was 4 days. 



September 3rd, another collection was made and larvae were 

 secured in an earlier stage ; but these did not do well in con- 

 finement and only i adult was obtained, September i5th. 



Full grown larvae were again met with by Mr. John A. 

 Grossbeck, one of my field assistants, September gth and loth, 

 in woodland pools in the Great Piece Meadow, an extensive 

 swamp area along the Passaic River in the northern part of 

 Essex County. Pupation began at once and adults were ob- 

 tained as follows : September 13, 8 $ ; September 14, 6 $ , 



3 9 ; September 15, 2 $ , 2 9 ; September 16, i $ , 6 9 . Tins 

 also gives an average duration of four days in the pupal stage. 



Half grown larvae were secured in the same place September 

 24th ; but none were brought to maturity. 



This record indicates continuous breeding from the latter 

 part of July to the end of September, and of course it is prob- 



