INTRODUCTION 15 



chalcopyga Loew., Criorhina tricolor sp. nov. Coq., and Eris- 

 talis occidentalis Will. Of these the most abundant were Chilo- 

 sia plutonia and Sphegina infuscata. Platychirus albimanus 

 is a European species and an addition to the American fauna. 



Perhaps the most striking feature of the dipterous fauna at 

 this point was a large number of species and individuals of the 

 family Empidas. No less than fifteen species were swept from 

 the bushes bordering the pathways. This series includes repre- 

 sentatives of six genera (Empis, Gloma, Microphorus, Rham- 

 phomyia, Ocydromia, and Platypalpus], and of the species ten 

 were new to science. The most abundant species were Empis 

 virgata Coq. and Empis triangula sp. nov. Cov. 



Among other interesting Diptera taken at this place may be 

 mentioned the Chironomid named by Mr. Coquillett Chasma- 

 tonotus univittatus sp. nov., Sciara expolita sp. nov. Coq., 

 Berts anmdifera Bigot (the only representative of the Strati- 

 omyidae seen upon the Expedition), eleven species of Antho- 

 myidas, including two previously undescribed, and two species of 

 Lonchaeidas (Lonchcea albitarsis Zett. and L. deutchi Zett.), 

 both additions to the American fauna. 



No special effort was made to collect Coleoptera, since this 

 order has been thoroughly collected by the Russians and 

 others, but over 50 species were taken, including several new 

 to the fauna of Alaska, namely, Agyrtes longulus Lee., Seri- 

 cosomus incongruus Lee., and Eros Icetus Mots. 



With the exception of the common white Pieris no butterflies 

 were taken at Sitka, but 17 species of moths appear in the col- 

 lection. Most of them belong to the families Noctuidae and 

 Geometridas. The latter family included one new form, 

 Tcphroclistis jlebilis sp. nov. Hulst. 



It is evident that the extreme humidity of this and other sec- 

 tions of Alaska is not favorable to the higher Hymenoptera. 

 No fossorial Hymenoptera were found at Sitka, but a wasp 

 ( Vespa borealis Kirby) was taken at the blossom of Menziesia 

 ferruginea. Diligent search among the fallen timber revealed 

 three colonies of ants belonging to the species Formica neoru- 

 Jibarbis Em., Lasius niger sitkensis Pergande, and Myrmica 

 sulcinodoides Em. 



