APPENDIX I 459 



frequently banded with brown or black. They possess great ex- 

 tensile and retractile powers, which enable them to move quite 

 rapidly through the mud and decaying vegetable matter. When 

 captured they are restless and active; if held carelessly in the 

 closed hand they use their mandibles freely, puncturing the skin 

 and causing severe pain. 



The family Tipulidae, or the crane-flies, as they are popularly 

 called in reference to their long, slender legs, constitute a very 

 conspicuous group of flies which extends well into the Arctic 

 region. Six species have been recorded from Labrador, but there 

 are probably four or five times this number. The large tessellated 

 crane-fly, Tipula tessellata (PL, Fig. 5), is over an inch in length, with 

 spotted wings and dark body covered with a grayish pollen. The 

 northern crane-fly, Tipula septentrionalis, is a smaller species, 

 with darker wings marked with white and black. The larvae of 

 this group live either in damp, decaying vegetation, or in wet 

 earth and water. 



Of the mosquitoes of Labrador we only know that they are abun- 

 dant and constitute a very annoying feature, but from a systematic 

 standpoint we know very little. Specimens collected by Dr. 

 C. W. Townsend and Dr. G. M. Allen were submitted to Dr. H. G. 

 Dyer, who says: "I have looked over your specimens, and find 

 that they unfortunately belong to that group of JEdes which can- 

 not be determined with any certainty without the larvae. I have 

 been able to separate most of the species from regions collected 

 over, but as these come from Labrador, it is possible that they 

 represent new species, which would have differential larvae, but 

 be very close as adults. These are some of the early spring species, 

 which in Labrador are doubtless the dominant, if not the only 

 occurring, species." 



Closely related to the Culicidae, or mosquitoes, are the Chiro- 

 nomidae, or midges. Four or five species of this family have been 

 collected, but among them are no representatives of the biting 

 forms. To the genus Ceratopogon belong the "punkies," or 

 " biting gnats," which the Indians call the "no-see-um." These 

 very minute but annoying insects are sometimes abundant in north- 

 ern Maine, and especially noticeable just after sunset when there 

 is no wind. They may possibly extend into southern Labrador. 



The black-fly, Simulium (Fig. 6), is an even more formidable 

 pest than the mosquito, for, unlike the latter, it makes its appear- 

 ance only on the bright sunny days and disappears during the 

 cloudy weather. In describing their attacks, Packard says: "The 

 armies of black-flies were supported by light brigades of mosquitoes. 

 They fly into our faces ; they do not bite hard, like the mosquitoes, 

 but the vampires suck long and deep, leaving great clots of blood. 



