PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 20, NO. 6, JUNE, 1918 121 



At 6.45 a.m. males were found to be common feeding on the 

 blossoms of saw palmetto. Several hours were spent in the morn- 

 ing by the junior author digging in the moist rich dark humus in a 

 lower bottomland in the hammock to find Tabanid larvae or 

 exuviae. No trace was found. Water was present at a depth 

 of about 3 inches under the soil and there was a dense jungle growth 

 of royal palm and other hammock trees and ferns. Mosquitoes 

 were very abundant. At 10.30 a.m., however, 3 living Tabanid 

 larvae were found in black muck under saw grass growing in water 

 at the edge of a slough. This was at the beginning of the Ever- 

 glade prairie east of Royal Palm Hammock, or west of the slough 

 near the hammock. Water was then present over some of the 

 prairie, due to recent heavy rains, especially that of April 19. 



At 5 p.m. males and a few females of T. americanus were col- 

 lected on saw palmetto bloom, the males were feeding, and were 

 still present at 5.30 p.m.; they remained till nearly dusk. 



On the morning of April 22 there was a heavy dew, but a strong 

 flight of T. americanus occurred between 4.24 and 4.40 a.m. The 

 adults flew with the abdomens pointed upwards, at the beginning 

 of the flight hovering high and later low. 1 male was caught. 

 Is this a flight of males only? 



Large wasps (Stictia Carolina Fabr.) 7 locally called the "horse 

 guard," "horsefly killer or chaser," 8 etc., persistently hovered about 

 live stock which are troubled by gadflies. Usually only 1 or 2 

 were present, however. When the gadflies hear this wasp approach- 

 ing they scatter in all directions. It digs in the sand, buries the 

 stung gadflies in a nest then lays its eggs on them. The resulting 

 larvae feed on these flies. 



On April 23 the senior author continued his notes, solus. There 

 was a heavy flight of T. americanus in the early morning. Later, 

 on the palmetto bloom, 13 males of T. americanus and 7 males of 

 T. trijunctis were caught. There were but few females of T. 

 americanus on the blossoms, but females of T. trijunctus were 

 abundant. 



April 24. There was a heavy flight of T. americanus at the 

 usual hour. At 4 to 5 p.m. I visited the palmetto blooms where 

 there were plenty of females of T. trijunctus and caught 4 males 

 also 4 males of T. americanus. The flowers seemed to be fading so 

 I cut away many more leaf stems from fresh flowers. I noticed 

 more of both species on fresh flowers. I believe the flies want 

 shade or shelter. 



1 left the screen to the veranda open from 4 to 5 p.m. and caught 

 114 females of T. trijunctus and 1 male of T. americanus, 6 females 

 of T. lineola and 7 males. 



7 Determined by Rohwer. 



8 Parker. Prop. I". S. Nat'l. Mus.. Vol. .?J. p. H-'. HUT. 



