Vol. Xxix] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 2ig 



in front of these; a bristle on each side of this tubercle; two dark 

 narrow lines extending from here downwards to the face. Above the 

 region of the mouthparts two appressed bristles slightly converging 

 with their tips. On anterior edge of prothorax two slender respira- 

 tory tubes of equal length, projecting beyond the head, flattened and 

 pale at base, pointed and shining black at the tip. General color of 

 fresh pupa white, head more yellowish. Abdomen g-segmented, white. 

 on dorsal side reddish. Dorsally on each abdominal segment near 

 its posterior border, a transverse row of very small, short, brownish 

 spines. Lateral abdominal spiracles present but not very distinct. The 

 spiracular areas with minute punctuation. On the ventral side of 

 8th abdominal segment a fleshy prominence corresponding to the 

 larval anus. Last segment (of female pupa) short, with low wart- 

 like prominences. Wing-cases rounded, smooth ; leg-cases free, con- 

 siderably longer than wing-cases. Pupation in the mud, in oval-shaped, 

 earthen cocoon, 5 mm. in length, with smooth inner walls. 



I notice that Beling, in his description of the larva of Argyra 

 vcstita, mentions not four but five integumental lobes on the 

 1 2th segment, counting three upper ones, the middle one of 

 these, however, often being much smaller than the two lateral 

 ones. 



In the pupa of Argyra vcstita Beling mentions on the front 

 four, short stiff bristles ; he did not observe the cocoon formed 

 for pupation. 



The habit of opening the pupal cocoon by means of a ''cyc- 

 lorrhaphous" cover, is of some interest and may throw light 

 on the evolution of cyclorrhaphous from orthorrhaphous Dip- 

 tera. While, as seen in this case, some orthorrhaphous Dip- 

 tcra form cocoons, which they open after the fashion de- 

 scribed, it is quite possible that in cases where pupation takes 

 place within the larval skin, the instinct to detach the cover 

 from a surrounding cocoon is transferred to the larval skin 

 surrounding the pupa, and as this closely adheres to the pupal 

 surface, the pupa opens it by the same means. If this is so, 

 then all flies which became cyclorrhaphous originally made 

 cocoons, a habit which would serve to explain the barrel-like 

 shape of the puparia and also, to some extent, the fact that 

 the last larval skin is not shed ; in some cases the skin may 

 adhere to the inner side of the cocoon, especially if the latter 



