The Midges 



Mountains rise up from the ground at nightfall in the most in- 

 credible numbers, making a humming noise like a distant water- 

 fall. Many species are common to Europe and North America, 

 belonging to the so-called "circumpolar fauna." The eggs of 

 Chironomus are laid in the late evening or early morning in a 

 dark gelatinous mass which swells up on touching the water and 

 which is attached to some object close to the water's edge. The 

 larvae differ in form and habit, but there are two types. In one 

 there are four long anal 

 tubules which function as 

 blood-gills, as in the fishes, 

 and the pupae bear bunches 

 of long filamentary tracheal 

 gills. These larvae are large 

 and red and are called in 

 England "blood-worms." 

 The larvae of the second 

 type have no anal tubules 

 and the pupa has a pair of 

 short, breathing trumpets, 

 as in the mosquitoes, in- 

 stead of the thread-like tra- 

 cheal gills. Larvae of the 

 first type burrow; those of 

 the second type often live at 

 the surface of the water and 

 feed on weeds. These generalizations are taken from Miall and 

 Hammond. One European species has been found to lay eggs 

 while yet in the pupal stage. A genus of this family Ceratopo- 

 gon is composed of very minute biting flies. The so-called 

 "punkie" of the north woods, called "no-see-um" by the Maine 

 Indians, belongs to this genus, and other species are found from 

 Canada south to Chili. 



Life History of a Midge 



(Chironomus minutus.) 



The life history of no American species of this family has 

 been worked out. That which follows is taken from the obser- 

 vations of Mr. L. H. Taylor, of Leeds, England, as given in the 



Fig. 62. Chironomus plumosus: adult 

 and pupa. (After Riley.J 



