35 



shy and soniowhat hard to caplnre. Specimens occasionally attacked 

 one for some time after sundown, both around the laboratory and near- 

 the hctel. Mr. Martin, who was collecting in ihe marsh east of thfe 

 laboratory at sunset, the same day, was also severely bitten by them. 



On the morning of June 10, I found but one or two individuals 

 inside the lattice work surrounding the cisterns, where a couple of 

 dozen were taken the afternoon previous. About a dozen were seen 

 on the walls of the Station building. Prof. Guilbeau, who has spent 

 three summers at the Station, had never observed this species so 

 abundant as at the present time. Both Messrs. Gary and McCall say 

 that this fly had not been annoying the present season until their 

 appearance in numbers on June 9. In fact, they had not been noticed 

 at all. but this may have been due, in part, to their not having attacked 

 people so viciously prior to this time. Evidently the adult;; were appear- 

 ing in greatest numbers, or else were daily becoming more abundant. 

 On the afternoon of the 10th, about 4 o'clock, I was attacked by- 

 three or four specimens while near a muddy pond east of the Station.. 

 About 2 o'clock I thoroughly swept over the grass lot where the flies 

 were so abundant the evening before, thinking that possibly they 

 spent the day hiding in the grass. Not a single specimen was ob- 

 tained, but since the grass was very high, the flies might not have 

 been caught if they had been present and near the ground. 



On June 11. we were occasionally attacked by one or two flies at 

 different times during the day. especially when near brush or timber, 

 and this made it appear that they sought .sheltered places during the 

 middle of the day. On the following day we were again attacked 

 by several specimens while collecting in a cotton field about 9 o'clock 

 in the morning. The species did not appear, on this date, to be as 

 abundant as on the 9th." 



CHRYSOPS OBSOLETUS Wiedemann. This species has a wide 

 range and is often abundant. It is usually encountered along the edge 

 of woods where the females are annoying pests. The color of the fly 

 is black, with the wings partially hyaline and with usually a yellow 

 stripe on the middle of the abdomen, although there may be variation 

 in the color of fhis last. Specimens were taken by Xewell at Forest- 

 hill, on September 8. It usually occurs earlier in the season than this. 



CHRYSOPS PIKEI WhitJiey (Little Eartly). This is a rather 

 small species, about Ike size of the common house fly. It was recently 

 described from specimens taken in Pike County. Missouri. The thorax 

 is black, with lour narrow yellow stripes; the abdomen may be de- 

 scribed as yellow, with four black stripes. Init the one en each side 

 disappears on the first two segments. Judging from the number of 

 specimens taken during the latter part of August and the first part 

 of September, the species must be very ronunon. They were taken-. 



