14 Second Report on Economic Zoology. 
the d ’s died on the water, as many as 70 being counted at one time 
floating on the surface. They, it seems, are very easily killed by 
rain when hatching out, which is not the case with the *s. 
Another interesting feature was that the males nearly all hatched in 
the centre of the barrel, the females against the sides. None were 
found in the house or privies near. It thus seems to be a wood 
species until late in the autumn, when it enters buildings and 
remains in them all the winter, coming into activity as soon as 
the weather becomes warm. 
The larvae also occur in small pools and ditches, and I found 
some in a saucerful of water, others in a jam pot. They are quite 
large when mature, reaching nearly three-quarters of an inch ; pale 
greyish-brown in colour, the head smaller than the thorax, and with 
a rather short thick siphon (Fig 1 (a ) ). The pupa ( b ) has the sides 
of the thorax, when in the water, silvery in hue, due to air, which 
collects at the sides ; the siphons are truncated and rather curved, 
the anal flaps prominent and a very distinct tree-like tuft on the 
first abdominal segment. The eggs are laid in large boat-shaped 
masses. 
Amongst other localities whence mosquitoes have been enquired 
after in Great Britain may be mentioned Canterbury. Mr. Hammond, 
writing on the 25th of October, enclosed specimens of T. annulata , 
stating that they were brought to him by two Canterbury people who 
complained of being bitten by them and of having been made very 
ill in consequence. Gnats, he says, have been very plentiful there 
this autumn. 
The Biting Stomoxys. 
( Stomoxys calcitrans, L.) 
% 
# 
Several enquiries have been made concerning the Storm or 
Biting Stomoxys — the Stomoxys calcitrans of Linnaeus. During 
August and September many seemed to have entered houses in such 
numbers that they became quite a pest, but few reports were given 
of their biting man, which they do sometimes very severely, and they 
have been noticed giving considerable annoyance to horses. This fly 
is said only to approach houses and enter them previous to a storm 
and in late autumn. This is nearly always the case, and I have 
noticed that they appear hours before the storm approaches or any 
indication in the barometer. The bite of this fly is very sharp, 
and they will bite man even through thick clothing. It does not 
seem to be entirely sanguineous, for it may frequently be seen 
