THE PALE CCENOMYIA. 607 



have never been described. Its larva and pupa almost ex- 

 actly resemble those of the rapacious Asilians. The larva 

 is a cylindrical, whitish maggot, tapering before, and almost 

 rounded behind ; it has only two breathing-holes, which are 

 placed in the last ring but one ; and it grows to the length 

 of two inches. It lives and undergoes its transformations 

 in decayed logs and stumps. The pupa measures about an 

 inch and a quarter in length ; it is of a brown color, and 

 nearly cylindrical shape ; its tail is forked ; there are eight 

 thorns on the fore part of its body ; and each ring of the 

 abdomen is edged with numerous sharp teeth, like a saw, 

 all these teeth pointing backwards except those on the back 

 of the first ring, which are directed forwards. The pupa 

 pushes itself half-way out of the stump when the fly is about 

 to come forth, and the latter makes its escape by splitting 

 open the back of the pupa-skin. 



In the month of June, there may sometimes be seen, rest- 

 ing on the grass or on rotten stumps, in open woods, a large 

 light-brown or drab-colored fly, somewhat like a horse-fly 

 in form, but easily distinguished therefrom by two little 

 thorns on the hinder part of the thorax ; and by the wings, 

 which do not spread so much when the insect is at rest. It 

 is heavy and sluggish in its motions, and does not attempt 

 to fly away when approached. This insect was called Coe~ 

 nomyia pallida, the pale Coenomyia, by Mr. Say, in the Ap- 

 pendix to Keating's " Narrative," and in the second volume 

 of the " American Entomology," where it is figured. The 

 generical name, signifying a common fly, is rather unfortu- 

 nate, for this is a rare insect. The only specimens known 

 to Mr. Say were found by him in a small forest of scat- 

 tered trees, on the Pecktannos River, in Wisconsin. A few 

 have been taken in Massachusetts, one of them on Blue 

 Hill, in Milton ; and Mr. Gosse found three specimens, in as 

 many years, in Canada. In its transformations this insect 

 is more nearly related to the gad-flies and the Asilians than 

 to the soldier-flies, near which it has generally been placed ; 



