116 Kansas Academy of Science. 



fly far from the water from which they emerge. It is noticed that 

 they always face the wind, whether at rest or in flight, even shonld 

 they be carried backwards on the wing. Interesting records could 

 be written from observations regarding night insects. Some of 

 these from my notes are as follows : 



"July 27. — Slight rain before dark and May-flies were excep- 

 tionally thick around the lights. The floor of the bridge was so 

 thickly covered with these insects that their wings gave the effect 

 of snow, while the woodwork along the sides was coated with white 

 molted skins. One kind of May-fly [Polymitm'chys alhns Say), 

 after falling to the floor, seems unable to rise again, and there bat- 

 ters its wings into shreds in the futile endeavor to fly, until too 

 feeble to flutter longer, when it dies from exhaustion. On close 

 examination their legs are found to be rudimentary or aborted, and 

 therefore too weak to enable the insect even to crawl, This kind 

 has been noticed during the entire week." 



"July 30. — The .very smallest kind of May-flies {Cmnis dimi- 

 nuta Walker) are the first to appear at dusk, when they come in 

 great numbers. The larger kinds appear shortly afterwards, and in 

 such multitudes that the electric-light globe soon becomes choked 

 with their bodies, in a mass so densely packed that the light is ob- 

 scured. At ten o'clock, or soon after, the insects have mostly 

 dispersed." 



Remarks to above. — As a rule, good collecting at lights ends 

 about an hour after dark. As soon as darkness settles, the larger 

 insects generally come with a rush to the lights, but they seldom 

 linger in force very late. 



"August 1. — On river bridge just after dark. Myriads of small 

 May-flies flying against the wind to the electric light suggested the 

 appearance of a tail to a comet when viewed from a short distance. 

 Very few caddice-flies out." 



"August 3. — Insects very thick. The frail White May-fly ( Poly- 

 mitarchys alhus Say ) was more abundant than usual, and multi- 

 tudes literally lay in a compact bed on the floor of the bridge, 

 vainly flopping their wings to pieces in trying to rise. Their egg- 

 clusters were scattered about thickly among their bodies." 



"August 5. — The common kinds of May-flies were nowise as 

 thick as usual. Found more of the Black caddice-flies than ever 

 before in one evening." 



"August 10. — Mostly large moths out. The dead bodies of a 

 considerable number of May-flies were seen sticking by the wings 

 in all sorts of positions to the framework of the bridge, where the 



