WINTER INSECTS OF EA.STERN NEW YORK. 241 



near the middle and the other back of it; edges ciHated with fine, short 

 hairs. Upon wings diaphanous, gray, faintly marked with a darker cloud 

 back of the middle, and another occupying the tips, but not reaching to 

 the edge, these clouds becoming wholly obliterated in cabinet specimens; 

 nerv^ures black. Lower wings gray, sub-hyaline, nervures black. 



When recently excluded from the pupa, the abdomen, except at its tip 

 is of a dull rufous color; this gradually becomes darker, and finally pure 

 black. For a time after the venter has become wholly black the tergum 

 continues dull rufous with a black band on each segment, which band 

 does not reach the lateral margins. These bands increase in size, and at 

 length the whole tergum is overspread with pure black. 



It is not uncommon to meet with specimens of this and the preceding 

 species, infested with a minute parasite of the family Acaridce. These 

 parasites are of a bright vermillion-red color, and fix themselves, one or 

 more, at the sutures of the tergum, not quitting their hold after the death 

 of the insect, unless disturbed. 



This species begins to appear, soon after the small Snow-fly is first met 

 with. It occurs in the same situations, is nearly as abundant, and re- 

 mains for a time after that has disappeared. One of the purposes served 

 by these prolific insects in the economy of nature, doubtless is, to supply 

 with food the fish of our streams, at this early period of the year. The 

 larger of these species continuing to be abundant when the shad first 

 come into our rivers, has evidently received one of its popular designa- 

 tions in allusion to this fact. 



We regard this as the American analogue of the European Nemom-a 

 ?iebulosa, Linn. But __from several points in the extended description of 

 that species given b)^ M. Ramber {Sui'fes a Buffon, Insectes Ncvropteres, 

 Paris, 1842), it is quite obvious that ours is a distinct species. 



5. CULEX HYEMALIS. [*] T/ie Winter "Musketoe." 

 Thorax cinereous, with a broad black vitta on each side; extreme tips 

 of the wings and two spots on their anterior margins black, with two in- 

 tervening sericeous yellowish white spots. 



Length 0.22 ; to the tips of the wings 0.28, or including the beak 0.39. 

 Head cinereous-pubescent, occiput black-pubescent. Proboscis black, 

 its apex cinereous. Palpi black, the tips varied with gray. Antennae black, 

 tips brown. Thorax cinereous-pubescent, with a broad rufous-black vitta 

 on each side, passing above the wing-sockets ; the vitta often edged on 

 its upper side with yellowish-white ; a very slender, black, dorsal line, 

 often partially obsolete. Scutel glabrous, dark brown. Poisers black, 

 their pedicels white. Abdojiien clothed with longish gray hairs, black or 

 dark brown, with two rows of whitish spots on each side ; in the males 

 obscure white, the posterior margins of the segments black. Wi/it^s sub- 

 h3'aline, with two blackish spots on the anterior margin, separated by a 



[* Is Anophales (juadrimaculatus iia.y. in Long's E.\p., Append., ii, 1824; Compl. Writ., 

 i, 1859, p. 241.] 

 31 



