No. 5. ] 



Miscellaneous Notei 



39 



MISCELLANEOUS NOTES, 

 FROM THE ENTOMOLOGICAL SECTION. 



BY E. C. COTES, DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT, INDIAN 



MUSEUM. 



In July 1893 specimens of the Potu fly collected in the previous May 

 The Potii fly. ^^ ■^^'' ^' ^' I^ogers, at an elevation of about 



3,500 feet in the Tons valley of the North- West 

 Himalayas, were forwarded by the Director of the Imperial Forest 

 School, Dehra. Careful comparison of the specimens with the late Dr. 

 Becher's figures and description of his Simulium indicum from Assam 

 shows them to be identical with this species. 



The insect is noticeable on account of its relationship to the notorious 

 '^ black fly " [Simulium molesfum) of the North American continent. 

 It is said to be vei-y troublesome in the North- West Himalayas but 

 little beyond the bare technical description of the species has hitherto 

 been recorded. A series of questions were therefore submitted to the 

 Director of the Forest School with a view to eliciting such information as 

 might be forthcoming from tlie forest officers stationed in the School 

 circle. From the replies kindly furnished by Messrs, Gamble, Rogers, 

 Moir, and Smythies the following points seem to be established. 



The Potu is so similar both in its bite and sviperficial appearance to 

 the pijos a of Sikkim, as to make it likely that it is either identical with 

 or very closely allied to this form. In view therefore of the fact that 

 the specimens from the North-West Himalayas agree exactly with 

 Becher's figure of a specimen from Assam^ the conclusion seems to be a 



