82 BLACK-FLY. 



with bright chestnut edgings to neariy all the upper feathers. One 

 of these specimens had the head and neck nearly clear ash, of a 

 very minute pattern. I often found specimens where the tail feathers 

 were half black, and the other half white. I suspect that Tringa 

 datrdii, that rare sandpiper, bears a stronger relation to certain 

 forms perhaps of adult worn breeding plumage of T. bonapartei 

 than is generally credited. 



We were much gratified, this evening, by a fine double rainbow, 

 of most beautiful color ; both bows were well defined against a clear 

 bank of cloud in the east. 



Sunday the i oth. I saw what was either a large white hawk or owl 

 perched on a stone near the top of a small hill by the house, but he 

 soon flew away. We passed a delightful day out of doors. The 

 weather was fine, and the lateness of the season protected us against 

 the fury of that most pestiferous creature of these northern regions, 

 the much dreaded black- fly. This insect, the Simidium 7nolestu7n 

 of the entomologist, is one of those ra^-a avis that the naturalist 

 lights upon occasionally much to his own personal inconvenience. 

 It is an abundant native of all these northern regions, more especially 

 inland, during the summer months ; and of its development little 

 is known. They fill the air during the months of July, August, 

 and September, especially inland, making the country almost unin- 

 habitable. They swarm on a still day in millions, and nothing but 

 a breeze of wind will rid the air of their presence. They light on 

 any part of the face that is incautiously exposed, and bite it most 

 terribly until the blood runs. Their favorite places of attack are be- 

 hind the ear and on the neck. This fly attacks the children even 

 more savagely than it does the grown people. I have seen a child's 

 face all bitten and swollen, while the poor thing spent most of 

 the time crying and rubbing the inflamed portions, which only served 

 to make the case worse. With adults the bite soon disappears. 

 The account given of this insect by Harris, in his "Insects In- 

 jurious to Vegetation" is not accurate, for this portion of the coun- 

 try at least. I have found it more or less common from the 

 beginning to the end of summer. Prof. Packard says of it, "Its 



