INSECUTOR INSCITI^E MENSTRUUS 21 



Culex tarsalis Coquillett. 



This species is abundant throughout the west, especially in 

 the lowlands, breeding in all kinds of permanent and semi-per- 

 manent pools, except open river-bed pools, taking readily to 

 irrigation water. It occurs throughout the mountains, al- 

 though in reduced numbers, favoring open warmer pools. 

 Specimens were taken at Yosemite, Fallen Leaf, Lake Tahoe, 

 and Gold Lake, in fact everywhere that I went. The eggs are 

 laid in the usual boat-shaped masses and the adults are sup- 

 posed to hibernate, although exact observations are lacking. 

 On one occasion I collected recently dried sod from an irri- 

 gated pasture at Steamboat, Nevada, and, on immersing the sod 

 in water, three tarsalis larvae hatched. This would indicate that 

 fragments of an egg-boat may exist on dry grass for a time. 

 Whether or not there is normal habit shown here, I am unable 

 to say. 



Culex saxatilis Grossbeck (territans Auct. non Walk.) 



This species is well known as an inhabitant of the Sierras, 

 having been taken at Sisson, California, by Dyar and Caudell in 

 1906. Larvae were collected by me in grassy pools near Tahoe 

 Tavern, Lake Tahoe, in August, 1915, and adults were caught 

 in the Yosemite Valley in May, 1916, 



A NEW CTENACROSCELIS 



^- (Tipulida, Dipt era) 



By CHARLES P. ALEXANDER' 



The crane-fly described below is one of the largest, if not 

 the very largest, member of its family. The allied Ctenacros- 

 celis prcBpotens Wiedemann (Aussereur. zweifl. Insekt, 1, 40, 

 41, 1828, as Tipula) has long been considered to be the giant of 

 the family ; but the wing of the female of prcepotens barely at- 

 tains a length of 40 mm., whereas the male of the new species 

 measures at least as much ; the females are larger than the 



'Contribution from the Entomological Laboratory of Cornell University. 



