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Vol. xxiii] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS 1 59 



Flies of the Leptid genus Atherix used as Food by 



California Indians (Dipt.)."^ 



By J, M. Aldrich, Moscow, Idaho. 



In March, 191 1, as I was making plans to investigate the 

 Ephydras and other insects of western salt and alkaline lakes, 

 I wrote to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs in Washington, 

 mentioning the well-known use of an Ephydra at Mono Lake 

 as food by Indians, and asking if any information could be 

 procured for me in regard to other places in the West where 

 such food was used. The Commissioner obligingly sent a cir- 

 cular to employees of the service in the West, which elicited 

 several responses, one of which brought the first intimation 

 of the use of a Leptid fly as human food. 



Mr. Joseph A. Garber, farmer in charge of the Yainax sub- 

 agency, Yainax, Oregon, wrote down two statements made to 

 him by Indians living at or near the sub-agency, which I am 

 permitted to publish. The Indian name under which it is re- 

 ported that the Ephydra was used was "Koo-chah-bie," and 

 this was used in the circular of inquiry. 



"Statement of Chief Ben Lawver : 



"Ben Lawver, an old Modoc Indian now living at Yainax 

 sub-agency says that this fly which was used for food by the 

 Indians was called by the Modocs and Pitt Rivers Ha-lib- 

 wah, but after the flies were prepared for use as food, the 

 product was called Koo-chah-bie. There are a few of these 

 flies on Sprague River in this county and they are still called the 

 Ha-lib-wah fly by the Klamath Indians. 



* This paper is one of the results of an investigation carried on 

 with the aid of an appropriation from the Elizabeth Thompson Science 

 Fund. 



