1922] Ciirran: Ilammerschmidtia and Brachypoda 241 



genera together, and both occur early in the season. Myiolepta 

 is probably closer to Brachyopa than is Hammer schmidtia, as is 

 demonstrated by the maculation of the wings, the venation, 

 and the facial profile of the females, but it differs in having the 

 slender abdomen, as in Hammer schmidtia, except in M. bella 

 Will., from the Pacific coast. 



BIOLOGY. 



I have not observed the immature stages of any species of 

 Brachyopa, but according to Lundbeck, they are fairly well 

 known. In Diptera Danica, part v, pp. 386-7, Lundbeck 

 deals extensively with what had pieviously been published 

 regarding the developmental stages. The conclusion arrived 

 at (and bearing his own observations) is as follows: That 

 the larvae live in sap exuding from trees; the eggs are laid in 

 the spring of the year, and the larvae pass the summer feeding 

 upon the sap, and hibernate in the autumn; pupation takes 

 place in the spring, and the life cycle is completed with the 

 emergence of the adult; there is only one brood. That this 

 applies to the American species is borne out by what has 

 already been published on the subject, and al'^o by my own 

 observations regarding the occurrence of the flies. 



HABITAT AND HABITS OF THE ADULTS. 



Both Verrall (British FHes, Vol. VIII) and Lundbeck 

 state that the adults occur about exuding sap, upon which 

 they apparently feed. While I have never observed them 

 in such places I must say that the wood? in which I found them 

 so abundant in 1921 was in process of extermination, and 

 hundreds of tree trunks were exuding sap. Muscids were 

 swarming around these when I examined them in April in the 

 hope of finding Merapioidus villosus. Also in the other woods 

 where I took specimens many trees had exuding sap. 



The species of Brachyopa all occur early in the season and 

 specimens taken after the middle of June in Ontario must 

 be looked upon as unusual captures. During 1921 I was 

 able to do considerable collecting during May and June, and 

 collected on Wild Plum and several species of Wild Cherry 

 for the first time, which resulted in many things new to me, 

 including six species of Brachyopa, one of which proved to be 

 undescribed. The first specimen was captured on May 4th, 



