6 Winter Insects of Eastern New York. [ May, 
On warm days in the latter half of winter this species may be 
observed crawling with hurried steps upon the snow. It becomes 
most numerous about the time the snow finally disappears, and is 
then often seen on shrubs, fences, and buildings, and not unfrequent- 
ly finds its way into our houses. It is extremely common, occur- 
ring most abundantly in the vicinity of streams of water, in which 
element the previous stages of its existence are passed. When 
first excluded from its pupa state, it is of a pale yellowish color, 
but gradually changes to black, thts change commencing upon 
the thorax. Copulation occurs immediately after the female 
comes from the pupa state. 
4. Neourwnivauis. The Large“ Snow-fly.” The “Shad-fly.” 
Black; wings griseous, faintly banded, double the length of the 
abdomen. 
Length, males somewhat under, females over half an inch; 
wings expand about an inch. 
Head covered with minute whitish hairs, which are longer 
and more obvious beneath the bases of the antenne and around 
the mouth. Vertex with an obtusely impressed transverse line 
immediately back of the two posterior stemmata, and a longitu- 
dinal medial one, reaching from the former to the neck. Anten- 
nw black, clothed with very short minute hairs, slender, setaceous, 
as long as to the tips of the wings in the males and somewhat 
shorter in the females, composed of about sixty joints; basal joint 
short-cylindrical, its diameter double that of the third and follow- 
ing joints; second joint 8 eer between the first and third 
in diameter, its length breadth about equal; the remaining 
joints obconic, gradually diminishing in diameter and increasing 
in length toward the tips. Palpi clothed with very short, mi- 
nute hairs, black; basal joints of the maxillaries lurid and slight- 
ly diaphanous, penultimate joint rather the shortest and obconic, - 
the joint preceding it longest and obconic, the terminal joint oval, 
and scarcely as thick as the others. Prothorar square, in the 
females scarcely broader than it is long, somewhat narrower ante- 
riorly, posterior angles rounded, all the margins slightly and ob- 
tusely elevated, the posterior one more obviously so, often with a 
dull fulvous spot at the base, or with this color spread over the 
posterior part of the raised margin, and more rarely a similar 
spot at the middle of the apex; disk sometimes showing an im- 
pressed transverse line, and a longitudinal dorsal stria. Expos- 
ed portion of the mesothorax much elevated above the plane of 
the prothorax, forming a transverse ridge between the bases of 
the wings; clothed with short hairs; often with traces of dull ful- 
vous around the wing-sockets; the portion of the mesothorax and 
metathorax covered by the wings smooth and shining. Abdomen 
