370 DIPTEKA. 



which are thicker than the maxillae and barbed at the tip, and 

 the single hair-like lingua, or tongue (/#). These six bristle- 

 like organs are folded together within the hollowed labium (7), 

 which is a little enlarged at the tip, and forms a gutter-like case 

 for the rest of the mouth-parts. The mosquito, without any 

 apparent effort, thrusts them, thus massed into a single awl-like 

 beak, into the flesh, and draws in the blood through the chan- 

 nel formed by the fine bristles, Westwood stating that the la- 

 bium does not penetrate the flesh, but becomes bent upon 

 the breast of the fly. He adds "it is supposed that, at 

 the same time it instils into the wound a venomous liquid, 

 which, while it enables the blood to flow faster, is the chief 

 cause of the subsequent irritation." So far as we are aware 

 no poison glands have been demonstrated to exist in the head of 

 flies, or other six-footed insects, and we are disposed to doubt 

 whether any poison is poured into the wound, and to question 

 whether the barbed mandibles are not sufficient to produce 

 the irritation ordinarily accompanying the punctured wound 

 made by the mosquito as well as other flies. 



A large mosquito, with two light spots on each wing (Ano- 

 pheles quadrimaculatus Say), bites fiercely. It is abundant 

 very early in the spring before other mosquitoes appear. It 

 seems to hibernate in houses. The genus Corethra has the 

 male antennae very long and densely hairy. The wings are 

 finely ciliated as in Culex, and the inner edge has a short 

 fringe. The beautifully transparent and delicate whitish larvae 

 may be seen in early spring in quiet pools. Early in April 

 the pupa state is assumed, disclosing the flies late in the 

 month. 



CHIROXOMID^E Westwood. Of this small family the genus 

 Chironomus includes some small species which are mosquito- 

 like, with feathered antennae, and abound in swarms in early 

 spring before the snow disappears. The larvae are long, slen- 

 der, worm-like ; sometimes of a blood-red color, and aquatic in 

 their habits. While most of the larvae of this genus live in 

 fresh water, we have observed multitudes of the young of C. 

 oceanicus Pack, living on floating eel-grass and in green sea- 

 weeds at low water mark in Salem harbor. There are two 



