284 



Forty-second Report on tee State MusEmr. 



[U2] 



Mt. "Washington, during which, through their protracted sojourn of 

 weeks, and opportunity for collecting crepuscular and nocturnal 

 forms, they have been able to enrich their cabinets, and those of their 

 correspondents, with many rare boreal species, to accumulate much 

 valuable biological information, and to present local lists of 

 Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, and Orthoptera, which have been received as 

 special contributions to science. 



"Meanwhile the extensive Adirondack region, with its numerous 

 lofty mountain peaks, its deep gorges, its hundreds of lakes — 

 perhaps second only to the White mountains in point of interest to 

 the entomologist of any locality in the United States east of the Eocky 

 mountains — has been permitted, year after year, to bury within 

 itself its entire entomological wealth. Previous to the collections 

 noticed in this paper [Lepidoptera of the Adirondack Region*], 

 hardly an insect had been drawn from it. At the present nothing has 

 been reported of its mountain msect fauna. Many new species are 

 undoubtedly to be discovered there, and the first comparison of its 

 fauna with that of other elevated and more northern regions is yet to 

 be made. 



"It is sincerely to be hoped that, from the growing interest mani- 

 fested in entomology, the numerous accessions to the number of its 

 students, the facility for study afforded by recent publications and in 

 several extensive classified collections, the reproach resting on the 

 entomologists of New York may speedily be removed. And while 

 the thorough exploration of any locality can scarcely fail of bringing 

 to light much new material, the ambitious student may have for his 

 incentive the assurance that in the Adirondack mountains there is 

 open to him an unexplored field where faithful search will assuredly 

 yield him a most abundant return." 



The locality of Long lake and the season offered but few flowering 

 plants for the attraction of insects. The collections, therefore, were 

 mostly confined to golden rods (Solidago) and the hard-hack (Spircea 

 tomentosa), which were freely visited by Hymenoptera, Diptera, and 

 Coleoptera for the pollen that they afforded. 



Of the Hymenoptera, the flowers were especially prolific in Apidce, 

 Andrenidce, Eumenidce, and Grabonidce, whilst also yielding some desir- 

 able Ichneumonidoe. 



In Diptera, several species of the gaily-colored Syrphidce (flower 

 flies) were abundant, of which, perhaps, the most interesting form was 

 Spilomyia fusca Loew — a large fly, so singularly mimicking in size, 



* Seventh Annual Report of the Topographical Survey of the Adirondack Region of New 

 York, 1880, pp. 375-400. 



