S40 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



were found on the rocks on tlie bank a few inches al)ove the sur- 

 face of the water; the newly hatched larvae were just at the 

 surface, and from this point there was a regular gradation in 

 the size of the larvae dow^n into the stream. The eggs were 

 found abundantly on June 1. In the proceedings of the Boston 

 Society of Natural History for January 1880, Dr Hagen de- 

 scribed Simulium pictipes, a remarkably large species, 

 the larvae and pupae of which were found in the rapids of the 

 Ausable river, Adirondack mountains; and in mentioning the 

 fact in the American Naturalist for April 1881, we stated that 

 the larvae and pupae of presumably the same species were found 

 by Messrs Hubbard and Schwarz in the rapids of Michipicoten 

 river, north shore of Lake Superior. The larvae were there 

 found to have the peculiaritj' of floating in long strings, at- 

 tached to each other by silken threads, while the pupae, found in 

 the quieter pools close by, resembled coral. We also hazarded 

 the statement that these were the immature forms of the cele- 

 brated black fly of the Lake Superior region. . In reference to 

 the probable identity of the Adirondack with the Lake Superior 

 species, Dr ITagen. in comparison of the specimens of these lar- 

 vae and pupae, received from Mr Hubbard, with similar stages 

 of S. pictipes, renuirked [Canadian Entomologist, 13:150-51] 

 that, while the larvae and pupae did not ditfer materially, ima- 

 goe from the Lake Superior, not raised from the pupae collected 

 by Mr Hubbard, differed from S. pictipes in the much smal- 

 ler size and in the color of the legs. 



The report of the United States entomologi'St for 1886 con- 

 tains detailed account of the life history of two species, the 

 southern buffalo gnat and the turkey gnat. This paper is the 

 most complete record we have of any species of Simulium in this 

 country. 



Economic importance. In the northern states the attacks of 

 the black flies on dojnestic animals, though causing considerable 

 loss to the stock raiser, is not of such a nature that accurate 

 statistics can be obtained. Otto Lugger, late state entomolo- 

 gist of Minnev^ota, in liis report of 1896, p. 201 and 203, says: 



Th^ losses caused by this insect are, in some years, very great, 

 and tlie state of Tennessee alone lost in 1874 as much as 

 $5(M).()00. This southern buffalo gnat occurs as far north as 

 INIinneapolis, at least a few specimens have been found there. 

 Here in Minnesota we have a number of other species of this 

 family of flies, which cause more or less injury to our stock. 



