TABANIDA OF OHIO. 9 
lation and deposition of eggs must take place very soon after 
emergence from the water.”* A careful examination was made 
of the females of the pairs taken in copulation to see if there 
was any indication of their having taken food previously. In 
several cases the alimentary tract was found to be well filled 
with blood. Two pairs were preserved in formalin, and when 
dissected the digestive system of the female contained a quantity 
of hardened blood, which when treated with glacial acetic acid 
yielded hzemin crystals. 
Pangonia rasa, which is the only species of its genus so far 
taken in Ohio, has been found on flowers only. From what I 
have observed the female of this species has a special liking for 
flowers, for specimens ‘have been taken from these when cattle 
were grazing near by at the time. 
Goniops chrysocoma appears to be a common species in the 
state, but | have never seen it around stock. The females have 
been taken most often in woods resting on foliage of both her- 
baceous and woody plants. This sex may often be located by 
the noise made in vibrating the wings rapidly and striking the 
leaf at each downward stroke. Specimens have often been taken 
from dead leaves where the noise made is much louder than 
when the leaf is green. The males fly rapidly, and at intervals 
‘come to rest on low growing plants where they remain for a time; 
then they take wing again and are away so rapidly that the eye 
cannot follow them. Males at rest are easily approached, and 
this sex has been taken about as often as has the female. 
Many, if not all, of the Tabanidz in both sexes have the 
habit of coming to the water, and lowering themselves to its 
surface, dip several times in succession, and then fly away to 
alight on the bank or disappear from sight altogether. Writers 
have said that this is done for the purpose of drinking, and that 
at each dip a small quantity of water is taken up by the proboscis. 
This habit has an economic bearing which will be discussed on 
another page of this paper. 
ANATOMY OF TABANUS SULCIFRONS MACQUART. 
Tabanus sulcifrons, on account of the ease with which nu- 
merous specimens can be procured, has been chosen for the sub- 
ject of a short study of anatomy. 
In this study it has been the aim to use names which are in 
most common usage by the more prominent dipterologists, but 
sometimes a choice of one of the many names that have been 
used for a single region is a rather difficult matter. 
* Report U. S. Commissioner of Agriculture for 1886, 509. 
