95 



a suggestion as to preventives is made, which, under certain circum- 

 stances, will prove undoubtedly of great benefit. 



IS IT A NATIVE OR AN IMPORTED PEST? 



Since this insect was first brought to our notice we have felt that it 

 was an imported pest. Its first appearance in the neighborhood of 

 Philadelphia and its gradual spread southward have favored this idea. 

 Dr. Williston, to whom we sent specimens for name, wrote us that he 

 thought it an introduced species, and very close to Raunatobia serrata 

 of Robineau-Desvoidy, difiering only in color of legs and antenuie. He 

 has since, however, described it as a new species (see Eniomologica 

 America7ia, Vol. V, No. 9, September, 1889, pp. 180-181), under the name 

 Hcvmafohia cornicola, giving H. serrata as a questionable synonym. 

 His published remarks on this point are: 



I can not resist tbe belief that the species is au introduced one, and suspect tliat it 

 may be identical with H. serrata K.-Desv., occurring iu France. Aside, however, 

 from tlie discrepancies that his description shows iu the color of the legs, an identifi- 

 cation of this author's species is usually, at least, only a guess. Macquart's very 

 brief description is better; but the palpi are distinctly enlarged, aud he says they 

 are not . Nothing but a comparison of the specimens will settle the question. 



Meantime Dr. Lintuer had sent specimens to Baron Osten-Sacken at 

 Berliu, who determined them, as Dr. Lintuer informs us iu a letter 

 dated September 16, as the European serrata, placing it in the closely 

 allied genus or subgenus Lyperosia of Rondani. We are quite inclined 

 to accept Baron OstenSacken's dictum in this matter and so also we feel 

 assured will Dr. Williston, aud we hence conclude that our species is 

 the European serrata, whether it be ultimately placed iu Hwmatobia or 

 Lyperosia both of which genera were split oft" from Sfomoxys and are 

 considered by Schiner as subgenera of this last. At present we shall 

 follow Dr. Williston in placing it in Rccmatobia. 



We know little of the European geographical distribution of R. ser- 

 rata. Robineau-Desvoidy described it from France and Schiner gives 

 its location as south France, while Macquart gives it as inhabiting the 

 south of France, and records it specifically from Bordeaux. The fact that 

 in this country it has spread with much greater rapidity towards the 

 south than towards the north would seem to indicate that it is a south 

 European species. 



The habits of Haematobia in Europe are given by Railliet* as follows : 



The Htematobias are very small flics which live in the fields and seldom penetrate 

 into the stables. As their name indicates, they are at least as blood-thirsty as Sto- 

 moxys. They attack the animals iu the pastures, particularly cattle, and they often 

 collect in great numbers upon a single individual, with their wings expanded, work- 

 ing iu through the hairs to pierce the skin. H. stimulans Me\g^ and R. ferox R.-D. 

 are the principal species of our region. — [France.] 



The exact time and place of the introduction, it is impossible to ascer- 

 tain. Upon its first importation in small numbers it was probably for 



" El6mcnt.s de Zoologie Mddicale et Agricolc. 



