38 DRAGON FLIES VS. MOSQUITOES. 



is liable to attack from insect enemies ; such liability can 

 be left to another chapter for discussion. 



As an introduction to our consideration of these insects 

 it is well to premise our account by the statement that we 

 will take IVIusca domestica as the type of its group, and all 

 that hereafter follows will apply to that species, unless it 

 is otherwise stated. 



]M. domestica of this country is undoubtedly the same 

 insect as the domestica of Europe, its identity and intro- 

 duction to this country having furnished the systematists 

 much food for interesting discussion in the past. 



One peculiar item of its sygtematic position is that the 

 name is misleading ; Prof. Snow ^^^ has pointed out that 

 Domestica is the first visitor at any camp in our back- 

 woods in North America, no matter how remote from 

 civilization ; and in using the sweeping net for minute 

 insects in grass, shrubs, or trees we find Domestica well 

 represented ; and it can as well be called the commonest 

 insect aAvay from domestic surroundings as in our houses. 

 Packard ^^^ has given us a full description of the oviposi- 

 tion of Musca, the principal facts gleaned from which are 

 as follows : Fresh horse manure, with plenty of heat and 

 moisture, furnishes the best food for the young maggot. 

 From a hundred to a hundred and fifty eggs are de- 

 posited in irregular, loose sacs, usually within eighteen 

 hours, and hatching in twenty-four hours or less. The 

 maggots moult twice ; the three stages of larval develop- 

 ment being of the following periods ; first stage, one day ; 

 second stage, from twenty-four to thirty-six hours ; third 

 stage, three or four days. To this maximum period of 

 seven days is to be added the same length of time for the 

 pupal life ; thus it will be seen that fifteen or sixteen days 



