INSECUTOR INSCITI^ MENSTRUUS 3 



are no more protected from their obstinate pursuit. They 

 fly continually around the head, doing all possible to enter 

 the eyes, in such manner that these pitiless flies disturb equally 

 the pleasures of the promenader in the woods and fields." 



Leptocera sylvatica Meigen. 



A specimen of this European borborid was submitted for 

 determination by R. H. Hutchison. It was taken at Arlington, 

 Virginia, October 11, 1914, on a compost heap. The specimen 

 agrees in every detail with one collected in London, England, 

 by E. Brunetti. 

 Lynchia maura Bigot. 



This hippoboscid is a common parasite of the domestic 

 pigeon in the Mediterranean region. Specimens taken from 

 domestic pigeons at Key West, Florida, were forwarded to 

 the Bureau of Entomology for determination by Dr. J. Y. 

 Porter in February, 1915. Attention had been attracted to 

 the parasites by the occurrence of a fatal disease among the 

 pigeons. A specimen was sent to Prof. Dr. Bezzi, of Turin, 

 who confirmed the determination of the writer. 



It appears that this species is widely distributed in America, 

 although still unrecorded for the northern continent. The 

 late D. W. Coquillett had determined the species as "Lynchia 

 brunnea Oliv.," and in consequence the species figures in the 

 Brazilian literature under this name According to Speiser, 

 our best student of the Hippoboscidse, Olivier's Ornithomyia 

 brunnea is unrecognizable. Specimens of Lynchia maura in 

 the national collection show the following records, in addition 

 to the one from Key West already mentioned : 



Ames, Iowa ; Savannah, Georgia, 28 Sept. 1896, on pigeon 

 (W. Duncan) ; Havana, Cuba, on pigeon (J. R. Taylor) ; 

 Ceara, Brazil, 1904 (F. D. da Rocha) ; S. Paulo, Brazil, on 

 pigeon (A. Lutz) ; Campinas, Brazil, on domestic pigeon (A. 

 Hempel). Dr. R. Gonzalez Rincones informs me that the 

 species is an abundant parasite of the domestic pigeon at 

 Caracas, Venezuela. 



Recently this species has made its appearance in the Hawaiian 

 Islands. According to Mr. O. H. Swezey, from whom I have 



