14 Second Report on Economic Zoology. 



the (J 's died ou the water, as many as 70 being counted at one time 

 floating on the surface. They, it seems, are very easily killed by 

 rain when hatching out, which is not the case with the ? 's. 

 Another interesting feature was that the males nearly all hatched in 

 the centre of the barrel, the females against the sides. None were 

 found in the house or privies near. It thus seems to be a wood 

 species until late in the autumn, when it enters buildings and 

 remains in them all the winter, coming into activity as soon as 

 the weather becomes warm. 



The larvte also occur in small pools and ditches, and I found 

 some in a saucerful of water, others in a jam pot. They are quite 

 large when mature, reaching nearly three-quarters of an inch ; pale 

 greyish-brown in colour, the head smaller than the thorax, and with 

 a rather short thick siphon (Fig 1 (a) ). The pupa (&) has the sides 

 of the thorax, when in the water, silvery in hue, due to air, which 

 collects at tlie sides ; the siphons are truncated and rather curved, 

 the anal flaps prominent and a very distinct tree-like tuft on the 

 first abdominal segment. The eggs are laid in large boat-sliaped 

 masses. 



Amongst other localities whence mosquitoes have been enquired 

 after in Great Britain may be m.entioned Canterbur}-. Mr. Hammond, 

 writing on the 25th of October, enclosed specimens of T, anmdata, 

 stating that they were brought to him by two Canterbury people who 

 complained of being bitteii by them and of having been made very 

 ill in consequence. Gnats, he says, have been very plentiful there 

 this autumn. 



The Biting Stomoxys. 



{Stomoxys calcitrans, L.) 



Several enquiries have been made concerning the Storm or 

 Biting Stomoxys — the Stomoieys calcitrans of Linnaeus. During 

 August and September many seemed to have entered houses in such 

 numbers that they became quite a pest, but few reports were given 

 of their biting man, which they do sometimes very severely, and they 

 have been noticed giving considerable annoyance to horses. This fly 

 is said only to approach houses and enter them previous to a storm 

 and in late autumn. This is nearly always the case, and I have 

 noticed that they appear hours before the storm approaches or any 

 indication in the barometer. The bite of this fly is very sharp, 

 and they will bite man even through thick clothing. It does not 

 seem to be entirely sanguineous, for it may frequently be seen 



