Vol. xxix] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 



Larval stages of a considerable number of, chiefly Euro- 

 pean, Dolichopodid species, as enumerated by Fr. Brauer 

 (1883), are known; the majority appear to be terrestrial in 

 habit, being found in damp soil, under decaying leaves, in rot- 

 ten wood, etc. The larva of a species of Argyra (A. vcstita 

 Wiedemann) has been described by Th. Beling in 1882, who 

 found them in the sandy mud of a small brook, the limicolous 

 habit apparently being characteristic for the genus. 



The larvae of Argyra albicans were much less active than 

 Tabanid larvae ; they do not float at the surface as do the 

 larvae of Tabaiuts lincola, which were found in the same lo- 

 calities, and can apparently stay much longer under water 

 than these. They were taken as early as March 24 (4 speci- 

 mens) and April i (one specimen), at the edge of a small 

 pond on the premises of Princeton University, and were kept 

 in a jelly-glass with some wet sand and plant-debris. Two 

 of them, which were seen climbing out of the jar, were 

 transferred on April / into a crystallizing-dish with some wet 

 mud, and burrowed into it immediately. On April 17 two 

 oblong cocoons were discovered in the mud, one of which was 

 opened and contained a freshly-formed pupa, bearing two 

 long, horn-like breathing tubes at the anterior end. The pupae 

 were kept in a damp atmosphere, in the crystallizing dish, 

 having a glass cover. On April 20 the eyes had turned yel- 

 lowish brown, on April 21 dark-brown; on April 22 all parts 

 had become black except the abdomen, which was pale with 

 black hairs visible through the cuticle, and the respiratory 

 tubes, which also were pale. On April 23 at 1.30 p. m. two 

 female images of the fly were found. The duration of the 

 pupal period, consequently, was six days. The cocoon of the 

 one specimen which had been left undisturbed was found to 

 have opened by means of a circularly-cut cover, the pupal shell 

 protruding from the opening in its entire length ( tig. i </ ) . 

 ( )f the two tlies one was killed, the other one kept alive in a 

 test tube with a piece of apple rind, but had died on the fol- 

 lowing morning. 



Description : 



