24 THE JOURNAL OP THE 



Wayland, September 12, 1876. Brewster, 

 Bull. ]^uttall Club, III, (1878) p. 39. 



Aquila chrysaetus canadensis: Once common, the 

 latest instance of its occurrence is, I believe : 

 Fairhayen, ^Noyember 21, 1873. Allen, 

 Bull. Essex Inst., X, (1878) p. 32. 



[Cathartes aura: " Two in 1863." Samuels, Agr. Mass. 

 Secretary's Keport (1863) p. XVIIL] 



(7V) he cnntimieO.) 



GENERAL HABITS OF THE XEW ENGLAND 



DYTISCID^^, 



By Henry Savage. 



There are eighty-six species of Dytiscidoi in Xew 

 England. The largest species, DytiscAts confiuens^ is 1.6 

 inches iu length, while the smallest species, Hydroporus 

 co7ivexus, measures only .1 of an inch in length. 



The Dytiscidoe are very much like the Carahidce in 

 habits and formation. At least nine tenths of their life is 

 spent under water. 



The larvae are long and cyHndrical, with large flat 

 heads and powerful jaws. Their food consists of tadpoles, 

 young fish and aquatic insects, which they attack with 

 great ferocity. The smaller species feed principally on 

 the larvae of mosquitos and other aquatic Diptera. When 

 ready to transform, the larva creeps upon the shore and 

 forms an oval cell; in six days it becomes a pupa, and in 

 about three weeks it emerges a perfect insect, unless in 

 the autumn, in which case it hibernates. The Dytiscidce 

 are a very beneficial family, as they destroy many noxious 

 insects. 



The imago is oval and adapted for swimming. The 

 hind legs, which are used for that purpose, are long and 

 thickly covered with hairs. In certain species of this 



