l88 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [May, '07 



much exudation of 'honey dew.' Found present apterous and 

 winged viviparous females and winged males." 



The process of viviparous reproduction was observed. The 

 fully grown female (measuring in the two cases noted, four 

 millimeters in width at the middle of the abdomen and seven 

 millimeters in length), apparently became restless, waving her 

 long hind legs about in the air and swinging on the limb, from 

 side to side, her inserted beak acting as a mooring point. This 

 active and somewhat convulsive movement was kept up for 

 three or four minutes and then the female became quiet. 

 At the end of another three or four minutes activity would 

 again begin, but not so pronounced as at first, and the young 

 insect began to appear. At this point the activity of the mother 

 Lachnus ceased and the new-born insect freed itself from her 

 by its own efforts. For a few minutes after birth the young 

 Lachnus remained quiet, apparently resting from its exertions 

 and drying, and then backed away and found some unoccupied 

 spot on the twig. Here it settled down, and in about an hour 

 after birth it had inserted its beak into the twig and had begun 

 to suck. Observations were made for two hours in each case 

 during the warmest time of the afternoon, from one to three 

 o'clock. In both instances three young were born in the time 

 mentioned. In one case, observations were continued for one 

 hour longer, from three to four, and no young were produced 

 during this period. It was not possible for me to make further 

 observations, but the evidence so far seems to point to the 

 young being born only during the heat of the day. 



While the winged males were present no oviparous females 

 were seen and no eggs were found. 



This Lachnus was not generally distributed through Alabama 

 last year, for the winter found but the three trees with the 

 insect present, though many sycamores were examined. 



It seems to be of no special economic importance. 



I SHALL be glad to undertake the determination of American Syrphi- 

 dae for any of the readers of the NEWS. RAYMOND C. OSBURN, Colum- 

 bia Univ., New York. 



