172 



BLACK-FLIES. 



Dr. L. O. Howard, the chief entomologist of the Department 

 of Agriculture, to whom the writer applied for specimens, 

 writes: — "I have seen specimens in the New York mountains, 

 but have always found that reflex action was too strong for 

 scientific instinct, and I have unfortunately smacked and 

 smashed them instead of putting them in a cyanide bottle 

 for preservation; there are no specimens in the national col- 



Fig. 142. — "No-see-um" or "Punkie." Greatly enlarged. Original. 



lection." Prof. Comstock has kindly furnished a slide upon 

 which some of these tormenters have been mounted for the 

 microscope, and from this slide the above illustration has 

 been made. They are of a yellowish color, have transparent 

 whitish wings with darker hj^aline spots, as shown. Ac- 

 cording to Prof. Comstock the larvae of these minute beings 

 are found living under the bark of decaying branches, under 

 fallen leaves, and in the sap flowing from wounded trees. 



BUFFALO-GNATS, BLACK-FLIES. 



{Slmulidiv.) 



The family of Sunidldce furnishes a large number of flies 

 that attack man and domesticated animals. 



The flies belonging to the genus ^Sinuiliinx possess a heavy 



