inhabiting Salt Water. 237 



produced. Face very dcejdy concavely excavated, the cavity 

 broad oval, occupying the whole width between the eyes, and 

 extending- from near the upper edge of the eyes to the base of 

 the clypeus, the middle of the excavation densely clothed 

 with silvery hairs. Pronotum narrower than the head, almost 

 twice as broad as long, the middle line feebly carinated ante- 

 riorly ; the surface minutely rastrated, with about eight trans- 

 verse slender brown lines, each bounded in front by a faintly 

 impressed line, the anterior line interrupted, the posterior one 

 following the margin of the pronotum ; the posterior margin 

 triangularly rounding, extending pretty far back. Pleural 

 pieces whitish ; sternum honey -yellow. Anterior legs short, 

 wide, pale honey-yellow, their tibiffi broad, compressed, blade- 

 like on the anterior margin, oblong oval, but little longer than 

 the palfe ; paloe subtriangular, a little longer than broad, 

 fringed with long white cilia ; the basal angles prominent, 

 feebly rounded, the inner edge a little concave, tip acute. In- 

 termediate and posterior legs slender, paler than the anterior 

 ones; cilia and pubescence whitish. Ilemelytra pale yellowisli, 

 the costal area whitish, the cross nervule and a spot at ti]) 

 brown ; clavus at base wnth short narrow brown lines running 

 transversely from the outer and inner margins, beyond the 

 middle to tip the lines run completely across ; lines of the 

 corium transverse, slender, slightly waved, many of the inter- 

 mediate ones entire ; membrane pale brown, with short vermi- 

 culate white lines. Venter and metasternum faintly dusky ; 

 the connexivum and genital segments whitish. 



Length 4^ millims. ; breadth across the pronotum 1^ mil- 

 lims. This species must be closely related to C. Bunneisferi, 

 Fieber, of Europe. The shape of the palfB and markings of 

 the hemelytra of our species do not agree with Fieber's de- 

 scription. The specimen described is a male, which appears 

 not to be fully mature. From Clear Lake. 



V^irlet d'Aoust) fried. These eggs are deposited at the edge of the lake, 

 and the Indians fish them out and sell them in the market-place. So large 

 is the quantity of these eggs that, at a spot where a little stream deposits 

 carbonate of lime, a peculiar kind of travertine is forming, which consists 

 of masses of them imbedded in the calcareous deposit." 



The flies which produce these eggs are called by the Mexicans " Axaya- 

 catl," or water-face. The eggs are sold in cakes in the market, pounded 

 and cooked, and also in lumps au naturel, forming a substance lilce the 

 roe of a fish. This is known by the characteristic name of " ahua-uhtli," 

 that is, water-ivheat. 



In this connexion we may remark that, according to the late Mr. Horace 

 Mann, .Tiui., the Indians about Mono Lake eat large quantities of the 

 puparia of Ephydra. 



