37 



at least distinct races. They are certainly distinct in habit from 

 personal experience, for although C. pipiens is very common in 

 England, it practically never bites in that country. 



Sfegoniyia fasciata, Fab. 



This is the common *'day" mosquito here, and the intermediate 

 host of the yellow fever micro-organism is at once distinguished 

 from Culex by the alternately banded dark-brown and white legs. 

 The body is a dark chocolate brown, the thorax bearing a central 

 pair of thin whitish lines and a lateral pair of curved whitish 

 patches. The abdomen also has narrow whitish transverse bands. 

 The eggs are nearly black, and deposited separately, floating 

 horizontally on standing water. 



Sfegoniyia sciitellaris, Walk. 



This also is a "day" mosquito and at first sight appears to be 

 very similar to S. fasciata. It is generally somewhat smaller and 

 much darker, the general coloring being blackish, with a w^hite 

 central line on the thorax ; the abdomen is banded with thin white 

 transverse bands. The legs are black with white bands. The 

 eggs closely resemble those of S. fasciata. 



Family Chironoinidae (Midges). 



The small delicate flies of this group are commonly known 

 as ''gnats" or ''midges." They are frequently to be observed flying 

 in swarms, over or near water, both in Europe and America. 

 Their larvae are mostly aquatic, many of them being of a brilliant 

 red color, which are known as "blood-worms." One species 

 (Chironoinus hauKiiiensis) is quite common in Honolulu and 

 some of the other Islands. It is a small inconspicuous grey fly, 

 and is often mistaken for a mosquito ; the red larvae are at times 

 very abundant in reservoirs and ponds, where they are undoubted- 

 ly beneficial, feeding upon minute organisms and decayed vege- 

 tation and thus rendering the water purer. 



Family Stratioinyidac (Soldier-flies). 



These are sluggish flies, with flattened bodies and large eyes ; 

 one of the commonest species here (Sargits sp.) has a metallic- 

 green thorax, the abdomen in the male being dull bluish-black, in 



