12 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [January, 



at sea. I saw scores of them, mostly dead, though a few 

 showed signs of life — none were really active. Mr. Wickham 

 wrote an exceedingly interesting paper concerning this species, 

 published in Ent. News, Vol, V, p. 45. He saw several 

 specimens skimming on the surface of the water off Key West 

 and also near Sand Key Light. This was in late June and 

 early July. He speaks of their moving about "after the fashion 

 of our common Hygrotrechus, but with extremely rapid move- 

 ment," so that it was next to impossible to capture them from 

 the vessel. 



One hot day when there was a land breeze I heard people 

 complaining of the " sand flies" along the shore, which made 

 it almost impossible to stay there. This at once aroused my 

 interest. Mr. Coquillett had spoken to me of a minute 

 " midge," complained of by travellers in Florida and perhaps 

 undescribed. I could not neglect this opportunity, so went to 

 the beach as soon as possible. Sitting down on the sand under 

 the lee of the bluff which skirts the shore, I was immediately 

 made a martyr to science. Hundreds and thousands of these 

 tiny flies swarmed about and over me, biting viciously, till my 

 hands and face seemed pricked all over by red-hot needles. I 

 secured many specimens. The fly is a Ceratopogon, perhaps 

 genualis, a Cuban species, perhaps one new to science, so wrote 

 Mr. Coquillett at the time ; I have no more recent report. But 

 I need no distinguished dipterist to tell me that the biting ap- 

 paratus of this species is well developed and kept in good work- 

 ing order. 



«»> 



Notes on Missouri Springs. 

 By R. R. Rowley, Louisiana, Mo. 



In May, 1899, Mr. G. M. Dodge of this place took two 

 specimens of Deidamia inscripta, at apple blossoms, and in June 

 following half a dozen or more imagoes of Amphion nessus about 

 persimmon blooms, thus confirming the writer's previously ex- 

 pressed opinion that they would be found among our Sphingial 

 fauna. 



A close watch of the food plants of both these moths gave 



