234 AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 



Habits of the Adult. 



This species was not recognized as distinct until 1903, but was 

 confused with both cantans and syhestris. It was this fact that 

 prevented its recognition as a migrant in 1902, when I first met 

 with the species in great numbers and found it as early as April, 

 the dominant form in South Orange. Syhestris and cantans 

 are both known as upland species, hence a local breeding place 

 was sought and not found. Later in the season the breedings 

 from the marshes turned out this species in numbers almost equal 

 to sollicitans, from a wriggler much like that of the latter. At 

 that time I insisted upon the distinctness of the species and, 

 finally, Mr. Coquillett described it, calling it cantator — perhaps 

 because of its general resemblance to cantans. In the Spring of 

 1903, I had abundant opportunity for observing it. As early as 

 March 23d, larvae were well advanced at the edge of the Newark 

 Marsh, and adults began to issue during the early days of April. 

 But it was not until the last days of the month that the bulk of 

 the brood began to issue, and during the early days of May the 

 migration was on in full force. May 12th, they had reached 

 South Orange, and by the middle of the month the entire country 

 was covered with them. A second and much larger brood be- 

 came started on the marshes late in May, and before the end of 

 June was fully a-wing. Migration began during the last days of 

 June and, north and west, locality after locality was covered to 

 an extent greater than usual. Sollicitans was also in this swarm 

 which filled the cities and towns bordering on the marsh as they 

 had rarelv been filled before. 



The early brood in the Raritan marshes had not been heavy and 

 few specimens got as far west as New Brunswick; but the same 

 conditions that started the June brood at Newark started that 

 on the Raritan. Frequent trips by one or the other of my assist- 

 ants had kept me fully advised of the developments, and I antici- 

 pated that by July ist we might get our first supply. It came 

 as expected; full measure, heaping and overflowing. On the 

 morning of July 2d, I was met when I stepped outdoors by a 

 famished horde containing sollicitans, tccniorhynchus and can- 

 tator. The preceding evening we had sat comfortably out on the 

 porch, without disturbance from mosquitoes. The incoming 

 horde settled the comfort for weeks thereafter. 



This same brood was traced to Plainfield, Dunellen, Bound 

 Brook and Somerville, where the migratory forms rarely get. 

 How much further they spread in that direction I do not know, 



