SMITHSONIAN EXPLORATIONS, I93O III 



in its summer climate, so that the vegetation and insect life are very 

 unlike those of the interior. They are in fact largely a continuation 

 southward of a flora and fauna which extend in some of its members 

 all the way to Alaska. A few species of flies of more southern coastal 

 distribution also come up this far. The forms characteristic of the 

 seashore, living in the larval stage on seaweeds, coastal species of 

 plants, or on other coastal species of animals, are by far the most 

 important and interesting of the flies which I collected here. 



On seaweed-covered rocks washed by the ocean waves, I found the 

 two known species of the singular genus Paraclunio. It belongs to the 

 midge family, but is robust and strong. Its leathery wings are unaf- 

 fected by sea-water ; coming out of the receding wave it runs with 

 fluttering wings over the wet rock until submerged again. One of the 

 species has a range extending to Alaska, the other one being more 

 local along the Oregon and California shores. The larvae live in the 

 seaweeds on the rocks, but I could not find any present at the time of 

 my visit. 



Another remarkable fly that I found is Melanderia mandibulata, 

 previously known only from the Washington Coast immediately north 

 of the mouth of the Columbia River. In this fly, the mouth is de- 

 veloped into a pair of pincers for holding its prey — a structure 

 unknown in other Diptera, as the real mandibles or pincers, such as 

 occur in lower orders of insects, are reduced in other flies to small 

 blades or needles, or more often to rudiments hardly recognizable. In 

 Melanderia the organs are derived by modification of other mouth- 

 parts, and only imitate true mandibles. Professor Melander, for many 

 years connected with the Washington State College, is the only col- 

 lector who had previously found this species. One of his specimens 

 which I took to Europe last year and showed to many entomologists, 

 excited the liveliest interest there. I found this species on the wet 

 rocks above the ocean, where it finds its prey among the soft-bodied 

 organisms occurring there. By spending much time for several days 

 I obtained a large enough supply to enable me to present the species 

 as a gift from the National Museum to several of the principal 

 museums of the Old World, as well as those in North America ; one 

 went to Australia. This species was the principal find of my trip. 



Returning through Colorado, I stopped as I have done several times 

 at Tennessee Pass, on the divide of the Rocky Mountains at 10,290 

 feet altitude. Being on one of the main railroad lines, this is a very 

 convenient stopping-place. There is no hotel, but as before I was 

 indebted to Mr. L. E. Maupin, a pioneer who arrived at the Pass in 



