78 Journal New York Entomological Society, [Vol. xx. 



Pyramid Lake, Nevada July 1 6 



Winnemucca Lake, Nevada July 1 7 



Mono Lake, Cal July 21 to 24 



Walker Lake, Nevada July 25 



Owen's Lake, Cal July 28 



Pacific Ocean at Santa Monica, Cal July 31 



Lake Elsinore, Cal Aug. 2 



Pacific Ocean at Long Beach, Cal Aug. 4 



Borax Lake near Clear Lake, Cal Aug. 8 



San Francisco Bay near Palo Alto, Cal Aug. 1 1 



There are but four species of western Ephydra to report upon, as 

 several of the names until recently in use are now known to be syno- 

 nyms. All four of these are very abundant insects in their peculiar 

 habitat, however, and one has been an important food for man. 

 Several other species of the genus occur in the west, but their imma- 

 ture stages have not yet been found ; so far as known they are all 

 very rare. In another paper it is proposed to give a systematic treat- 

 ment of the adults of all the western species. 



Ephydra gracilis Packard. 



Packard, Amer. Journal of Arts and Sciences, 3d series, I, 104, 1871, 



puparium only. 

 B. J. Jones, Tech. Bull., Cal. Ex. Station, I, No. 2, p. 159, 1906 (adult, as 



Ephydra cinerea). 



Packard's original description, upon which the use of the name 

 gracilis depends, is so brief that I quote it entire : 



" These insects occur so abundantly where they are found, and 

 can be so easily reared, that I venture to name another form from 

 Great Salt Lake [the preceding had been from Clear Lake, Cal. — 

 J. M. A.], specimens of the puparia of which have been communicated 

 by Professor Verrill, from the collection of Mr. Sereno Watson ; and 

 by S. A. Briggs, Esq., of Chicago. It is much smaller and slenderer 

 than any of the preceding species, the smaller specimens being .25 

 inch long, the largest .50 inch. The respiratory tube is much longer 

 than in any species known to me, being in several specimens as long 

 as the body itself; the branches into which it subdivides being over 

 one third as long as the base of the tube. The body is of the shape 

 of E. halophila, but is much slenderer, while the feet are larger and 

 more prominent." 



