THE CrRANE-Fiies oF New York — Part II 879 
distances before alighting as is shown toward sunset when they fly for long stretches up- 
stream. The males are rather poor fliers, due in part, possibly, to the weight of the long 
antennae and, as stated before, this sex prefers to skulk rather than fly. When the males 
fly, they do so heavily and seize the first support that they collide with and hang on, occasion- 
ally flying on immediately to another support. When the male comes in contact with a stem, 
he very often ascends to the top by means of a part-flying, part-climbing motion and, on reach- 
ing the summit, flies off to another place. As a rule the flies, especially the females, alight on 
a single grassblade, but very often the males are observed on two blades, the legs of one side 
on one blade and those of the opposite side on the other; when the body thus hangs between 
the stalks, the tarsi diverge from one another, whereas on a single support, the legs converge. 
Hexatoma was preyed upon by large numbers of a scatophagid fly that occurred in great 
abundance in this vicinity and seemed to be subsisting almost entirely on these Iflies. At 
least twenty of these predaceous flies were noted with Hexatomae and this species seemed 
to constitute the principle insect enemy of the crane-fly. ‘They would lurk on the grass 
blades and sally forth after their prey, carrying it back to some point to feed uponit. It is 
probable that the blood is taken since the body of the Hexatoma appeared almost uninjured 
when examined. On an old beam where males had a habit of walking up the vertical face, 
a small spider’s web was found, in which eleven specimens were entangled, two being still 
alive; eight of these were males, the remaining three, females. 
The males especially can walk up smooth surfaces, as glass, moving the legs alternately 
and awkwardly. The first pair taken were in copulation but in placing them in the vial 
they became disengaged and ran about in the container. After a short time they began to 
copulate in the tube. 
May 15, 1911 — A pair were taken in copulation at 10 a.m.; at 8 p.m. they were still in 
coitu, but this is exceptional as most of the pairs disengage very readily. In the morning 
the species is very active and although the males do not fly far, they fly readily and it is 
difficult to pick them up by hand. The females are excellent fliers especially in the morning. 
Several pairs were taken in copulation and each pair was isolated in a separate vial in order 
o ascertain the number of eggs per female. The clutch was determined by dissection. 
hen the captive insects began to oviposit, the eggs shot out from vhe body, at first slowly, 
hen more rapidly, one per second, later. much slower again, the eggs being extruded one at 
time. The total period of oviposition required seven minutes; at the end of sixty seconds, 
the space between sixty and seventy seconds, eighteen eggs were laid, or 1.8 per second. 
oward, the end of egg-laying, the eggs appeared much more slowly, one in two seconds. The 
sos are quite sticky or viscid and adhere to the glass. When the female is in danger of 
eath, as when she falls into the water, she begins, at once, to deposit the egg-complement. . 
n nature it seems probable that one egg is laid at each descent to the water. As soon as 
he female touches the water, although she has not deposited an egg all day, she immediately 
tarts to deposit the oblong black eggs. After the last egg is expelled the muscles of the 
vipositor still go through the motions of expulsion. One specimen was placed in the water 
nd as usual began to deposit her eggs. She was decapitated, laid eleven eggs and tried to 
ay still more but failed. The number of eggs laid varied from 316 to 372 with an average 
f 347; the time required for oviposition varied from seven minutes to seven minutes and forty 
econds. In most cases the number of the egg-complement is probably between 300 and 400. 
J 
The greater part of the larval existence is probably spent in the water, 
nd it is only when the larvae are fully grown and ready to pupate that 
hey come to land. On April 26, 1914, gravel from the bank of Casca- 
ila Creek was carefully examined, but no signs of larvae or pupae were 
o be discovered. On May 6, however, the same bank was examined 
nd about ten larvae and seventy-five pupae were found. Sometimes the 
mmature stages are very abundant. On May 12, 1917, near the place 
