192 



W. D. FUNKHOUSER 



The latest recorded killing frost in spring for the basin was on June 9, 

 1913; the earliest recorded killing frost in fall was on September 14, 1911. 



Reports on relative humidity are not available in a form applicable 

 to this study, but it is believed that this subject is of much importance 

 in its reference to the hatching of eggs and the development of nymphs. 

 The following figures, covering a period of three years, give the averages 

 for the basin: 



Average annual humidity, 70 per cent 

 January average, 79 per cent 

 July average, 68 per cent 



These figures, however, would be valuable only in comparing life 

 histories of insects in the basin with those of other localities. For the 

 purpose of comparing the development of the membracids, it would of 

 course be necessary to have weekly, or at least monthly, reports for a 

 series of years and similar biologic reports on the insects. 



Bearing more closely on the subject of insect habits is the question of 

 sunshine, and this applies to a large extent to the family in question since 

 the Membracidae are sun-loving forms and their feeding habits depend 

 largely on this feature of the local climatology. In this connection the 

 following table for the Cayuga Lake Basin may be of interest: 



Average Sunshine (in Per Cent of the Possible) 



January 28 



February 44 



March 44 



April 48 



May 55 



June 61 



July 64 



August 61 



September 58 



October 44 



November 29 



December 23 



Annut.1 47 



It will be noted that the region is, on the whole, more or less gloomj', 

 and the physiography of the basin, with the deep gorges and the dark 

 ravines, exaggerates this to some extent; so that individual stations, 

 limited in area, would perhaps show a still greater lack of sunshine. 



THE BASJN AS A FLORAL AND A FAUNAL AREA 



The Cayuga Lake Basin represents the Transition Zone in its flora and 

 fauna. Reed and Wright (1909:376) have; recorded all of the nine species 



