96 



THE MOOSE FLY— A NEW H^MATOBIA. 



BY WM. A. SNOW, UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS, LAWRENCE. 



Entomologists will be interested to learn of the occurrence of a near relative of the 

 Horn Fly, HcBinatohia serrata, in the middle of the great cranberry swamps of Northern 

 Minnesota. These vast low areas extend for hundreds of square miles in the vicinity of 

 the Lake of the Woods. They are the favoured home of the American moose, and the hope 

 of obtaining some specimens of this animal for the museum of the University of Kansas, 

 led Professor L. L. Dyche of that institution to traverse these dangerous marshes. 

 Professor Dyche has recently returned after remaining for over three months in the very 

 centre of the swamps, camping upon the occasional sand ridges which cross the region ; 

 and to him I am indebted for specimens of a new Hcematobia, which I have named 

 H. Aids. 



The flies were noticed first upon skinning the first moose, when a number of them 

 were discovered in the animal's rectum, into which they had crawled for two or three 

 inches in order to deposit their eggs in the excreta. The dejecta upon the ground were 

 also found to contain hundreds of the eggs. Altogether nineteen moose were killed, and 

 in almost every case these flies were observed about them, remaining upon their carcasses 

 as long as they lay unskinned, which was often twenty-four to thirty hours. For some 

 time after the death of the animal, the Hcematohice could be seen only with difiiculty, con- 

 cealed as they were by the mosquitos, which were incredibly numerous, lingering in clouds 

 upon the dead moose as long as any of its juices could be extracted. The flies seemed to 

 prefer the regions of the head, rump and legs, where the hair is shortest. It is highly 

 improbable that they find a resting place upon the horns of the moose. The male moose 

 go thrashing about in the underbrush with tremendous enerj^y. They use their horns 

 during a great part of the year to sciape away the bark from trees ; and they have a way 

 of winding them in among the bushes when a rival is near, as a challenge. The females, 

 as is well known have no horns. The present species is very probably indigenous, infest- 

 ing as it does an animal not in domestication ; and inhabiting such secluded inland por- 

 tions of this continent. The moose obtained by this expedition were all killed far within 

 the swamp, fifteen to twenty miles from firm land ; and it is only in such places that this 

 now rapidly disappearing animal can be found. This region is rarely visited by white 

 men, and the few Indians that venture there wait until the surface of the fens is frozen 

 over. It is not altogether unlikely that this fly infests the caribou also. It was hardly 

 possible to observe its actions on the living moose ; but we know that it lays its eggs in 

 the excrement, and in all probability it resembles H. serrata in other habits as well. 



Professor Djche heard no complaints from owners of stock on the borders of the 

 swamp of the ordinary Horn Fly, or of any similar fly. The cattle are, however, tor- 

 mented with mosquitos, and smudges are kept constantly burning to which they may run 

 for relief. 



OBITUARY— HENRY EDWARDS. 



This well-known and highly-esteemed entomologist died at his home in New York 

 Oity, at 1.30 a.m., on the ninth day of June, 1891. His death was caused by dropsy and 

 other complicated troubles, which affected the heart. 



In him the world has lost an earnest devotee to science and art, and those who knew 

 him, a kind-hearted, generous, true and sympathising friend, [n his death, entomological 

 science has lost one of its most active and energetic workers, and his loss is deeply felt and 

 deplored by all who knew him, and he has passed out of this earthly domain with the 

 afiectionate regret of many grateful and loving friends. 



Mr. Edwards was born in Ross, Herefordshire, England, August 27th, 1830, and was 

 destined by his father to become a lawyer. After studying for some time without evinc- 

 ing any particular aptitude for the profession, he entered a London counting house, and 

 frequently appeared in amateur theatricals, for which he had much talent. He finally 



