1907 ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. " 107 



Questioned about the feeding of his fleas, Bertolotto said that he fed 

 them only at night ; and he showed a red place on his wrist — a token of the 

 phi e-hotom.y he had undergone the night before. 



When he was asked, "Where do you get your fleas?" he replied, "Not 

 'in Massachusetts; the fleas here are too poor — they are no good. I have to 

 send to Canada for the good ones !" 



Mr. Jewell has given me an original ticket for Bertolotto's show. It 

 reads : — 



"Signor Bertolotto's 

 original exhibition 



of the 

 EDUCATED FLEAS 

 Now open at 39 Union Square, 

 From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. 



Admission 25c 



Programmes in the Exhibition Rooms." 



Between the words original and exhibition there is a small engraving 

 of a flea with a soldier on its back. 



The family Simulidse is an objectionable one. 



I lived many years ago in a cottage near a brook, which meandered 

 through a valley, and fell into a neighboring lake. This brook abounded 



with the pretty little trout, Salmo fontinalis It also abounded with the 



larvae of the Black Fly of the North, Simulium molestum, Walker, which 

 are said to be harmful to the young fry of the fish. 



The Black Fly itself is a compact insect having a stout proboscis with 

 which it inflicts a more severe wound than that given by the mosquito. I 

 have seen the faces and necks of children running with blood from the 

 bites of this insect. 



There is a stately White Willow over-shadowing my yard at Levis, 

 and other trees are near. In the calm summer evenings, when the light 

 has been fading, I have often sat upon my verandah and watched the mazy 

 dance of Plecia heteroptera, Say, plainly seen against the western after- 

 glow. This insect is a hlach fly — entirely black; but it is "guileless of of- 

 fence." It belongs to the family Bibionidse. 



The disreputable family of mosquitoes known as the Culicidse have been 

 ably set before us by Howard, Smith and other writers. Our common spe- 

 cies at Quebec is Culex consobrinus, Robineau-Desvoidy. 



Drain the land, stock the pond with fish, keep the water-butts closely 

 covered, banish the mosquitoes — "their room is better than their company." 



A very interesting family of two-winged flies is that of the Tipulidse. 

 The typical insect of this is the Tipula, Crane-fly, or Daddy-long-legs. 



The finest of our Quebec Tipulidas is Tipula flavicans, Fab. It has an 

 expanse of wings of nearly two and a half inches ; and its legs when extend- 

 ed reach over a space of three and a half inches diameter. The wings of this 

 insect are prettily veined and are spotted with brown and white. Its long 

 abdomen is light with dark brown markings. 



A very pretty Crane-fly is T. trivittata, Say. It has three smoky brown 

 bands crossing the wings, and the wing tips are clouded with the same 

 color. 



A very common insect in our woods is T. cincta, Loew. It is very Quak- 

 er-like in its coloring, having body, legs and wings of a sober drab. 



Smaller and brighter in color is T. ferruginea, Fab. Its prevailing 

 color is orange-red. 



