THE MOUNT DESERT REGION 25 



the name of 'Flying Squadron'! That my course is neces- 

 sary is apparent when one realizes that the National Park 

 on the Island is now carrying the third name given to it since 

 this list was started. 



To students of distribution, variation, and the complexity 

 of insect life, it is important to have a careful survey of the 

 fauna of a region, giving the species found there at a certain 

 time. With this purpose in mind, I have deliberately dis- 

 carded all records that I do not personally know of, and the 

 species here listed, with the exception of about twenty-five 

 which have been entered for purely sentimental reasons, have 

 been taken within the past 20 years. Where any doubt as to 

 a species has come up, it has been determined by a specialist. 

 Furthermore, principally in the cabinets here, and in Boston, 

 Amherst, Washington, or in the collections of specialists who 

 have helped me, any insect mentioned may be found, with 

 the exception of the Mallophaga and two species of bird flies 

 (Hippoboscidae). To acquire actual records of these would 

 necessitate shooting of a large number of birds, the loss of 

 which would not compensate for the little knowledge gained. 

 As over 80% of the birds are infested by these parasites, a 

 list of the species frequenting the more common birds of the 

 Island can be depended upon the represent the approximate 

 number of species. 



The users of Surveys might well be warned that the publi- 

 cation of one or more species as occurring in a region is 

 obviously no proof that those are the only species in that 

 particular group which do occur. 



In the following summary the larger and more prominent 

 orders have received the attention. Many groups like the 

 Aphidae, Coccidae, etc., require collecting by specialists. These 

 will be collected, work continued in the larger groups, and 

 the results published. 



The abundance of the parasite wasps — Ichneumonidae — and 

 the parasitic flies — Tachinidae — indicates a normal or balanced 

 condition, these insects keeping in check the injurious species. 



