4l6 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [Nov..'l7 



they may be taken up to November, but never in such abun- 

 dance as in March. The writer has collected larvae from 

 aphids on conifers in early March, indicating oviposition in 

 February. The larvae serve as a check upon Chernies and 

 Lachnns, especially the former. The flies inhabit both val- 

 leys and hilly places, visiting flowers and aphid infestations. 



•Earliest collection dates are as follows : — Crioprora cyan- 

 ella, February 2"/, 1914 (San Jose) and February 27, 191 5 

 (Walnut Creek) ; Crioprora alopex, February 27, 1914 (San 

 Jose) ; Chcilosia occid (Entails, February 12, 191 3 (Walnut 

 Creek) ; Sphegina sp., March 23, 1914, and March 23, 191 5 

 (Walnut Creek) ; Syrphus arcuatus, January 12, 191 3 (Wal- 

 nut Creek). 



Twenty-seven other species have been collected by the writ- 

 er before April. In January small numbers of Melanostoma 

 obscuriirn Say (?), uniformly the earliest syrphid abroad, 

 Eristalis tcnax Linn, and the two economic Catabombo pyrastri 

 Linn, and Syrphus opinator O. S., are on the wing. In Feb- 

 Tuary these become more abundant and here and there a few 

 examples of Eristalis hirtus Loew, E. acneus Scopoli, Meso- 

 cjra<pt.a geininata Say, Eiipeodes vohicris O. S., Sphaero- 

 phoria sulphuripes Thompson, and Syrphus americanus Wied. 

 are observable. These six species later become abundant and 

 with the exception of Eristalis aeneus, pre-eminently a garden 

 species, have a wide range of habitat. Up to the middle of 

 March four additional species appear. These are Paragus 

 tibialis Fallen, Syrphus intriidens O. S., Eristalis occidentalis 

 Will, and Helophihis mexicanus Macq. Syrphus intrudens, 

 unlike the other common members of the genus, is quite rare 

 in the valleys though abundant in the hills. In the last half of 

 ]\Iarch there is a very pronounced increase both in the number 

 of species and of individauls abroad. In the valleys appear 

 Pipiza californica sp. nov., Syrphus protrifus O. S., Chryso- 

 gastcr sinuosa Bigot, and Syritta pipiens Linn. ; in the coast 

 range hills, besides these four, Volucella facialis Will., Chcil- 

 osia tozvnsendi Hunter, Ch. willistoni Snow, Chrysochlamys 

 croesns O. S.. Xxlota nciiwruni Fabr.. X. barbata Loew, Crior- 



