274 Journal New York Entomological Society. [Vol. xxi. 



September from a jar containing galls of Asphondylia conspicua O. S. 

 received from Highspire, Pa. The above records show that this spe- 

 cies ma}' range as far north as Albany, probably being carried thither 

 in shipments of tropical fruit, though the rearing from this gall would 

 indicate a probability of the insect breeding locally in certain vegetable 

 tissues if conditions were favorable. — E. P. Felt. 



Blow Fly Studies. — An investigation of certain local blow flies 

 resulted in rearing large numbers of Phonnia rcgina Meigen, which 

 appears to be the most common blow fly in the vicinity of Albany, 

 and also a flesh fly, Sarcophaga georgina Wied., both of which were 

 kindly determined for us by Mr. C. W. Johnson, of the Boston Society 

 of Natural History. The rearing of these flies incidentally shows 

 that the maggots of both were negatively heliotropic, this being espe- 

 cially marked in the case of those half to full grown. It is commonly 

 stated that blow fly maggots burrow into carrion, a habit explained 

 by their aversion to light rather than the necessity of obtaining food. 

 Colonies of maggots reared in almost total darkness habitually re- 

 mained on the surface of the food supply in large masses, sometimes 

 over an inch in depth and two to even four inches in diameter. The 

 larvje, under such conditions, were moving continuously over each 

 other, quickly scattering and seeking shelter on exposure to light. 

 The clustering is probably to be explained on a mechanical basis, 

 since the smooth mucus body walls of the maggots afford less resist- 

 ance to motion than almost any other material with which they would 

 come in contact. A somewhat similar massing has been repeatedly 

 observed in the case of the European Sciara thoma Linn, or 5". mili- 

 taris Now., and more recently, in this country, of 5". sciophila Lw. 

 A somewhat analogous case is to be seen in the massing of Miastor 

 larvae under the bark or decaying trees. In each instance we are 

 inclined to favor a mechanical explanation as the more reasonable 

 cause of the phenomenon. — E. P. Felt. 



Mites and a Fly. — Some six specimens of a moderate-sized mite, 

 probably an undescribed species of Seiiis, according to Mr. Banks, of 

 the National Museum, were found on the abdomen of Hclobia puncti- 

 pcnnis Meigen, some four being ranged one behind the other on the 

 abdomen. The fly was so small that there was very little room for 

 additional specimens unless they had attached themselves to the under 



