586 HOWARD 



Family LONCH^ID^. 

 This is a group of flies not distantly related to the Ortalidas, 

 and formerly included in the Sapromyzidee. The metamor- 

 phoses are not well known but the larvae of one species has 

 been found in Europe in the stalks of Verbascuin, 



LonchcBa poltta Say. 

 The present species is an American form and is rather widely 

 distributed. It was reared at Washington, District of Colum- 

 bia, June 16, 1899, from excrement exposed six hours on May 

 12, so that it breeds in human faeces. It was also bred June 27 

 from miscellaneous fgeces collected June 13, time of exposure 

 not known, so that the duration of the early stages in this case 

 is uncertain. A European species of this genus was found by 

 Megnin on the dead body of a child. 



Family SEPSID^. 

 This is a group of flies separated off from the old family 

 Muscidas, comprising small species the larvae of many of which 

 feed in decaying vegetable material. 



Sepsis violacea Meig. 

 The little shining black rather slender flies of this genus are 

 typical of the family in structure and habits. The metamor- 

 phoses are not fully understood, but the larvae are known to 

 breed in deca3nng vegetable matter. The species under con- 

 sideration has a wide distribution in Europe, and is recorded by 

 Mrs. Annie Trumbull Slosson from New Hampshire and by Dr. 

 Jno. B. Smith from New Jersey. In the course of our excrement 

 investigations it has been frequently found and has been both cap- 

 tured and reared in large series at Washington, District of Co- 

 lumbia, and atTravilah, Maryland, and has been captured upon 

 human fasces at Twining City, Maryland, and at Snickers Gap, 

 Virginia. It was taken on the 12th of May at Washington on 

 fseces exposed six hours and was reared June loth from the same 

 deposit, making the duration of the early stages 29 days. It 

 was also reared on the 20th of May from deposits collected on 

 the 1 2th of May and exposed from three to six days, making a 



