1927] 
Dipterological Notes 
33 
DIPTEROLOGICAL NOTES 
By Chaeles W. Johnson 
Boston Society of Natural History 
The Infestation of Bluebied Nests by Peotocalli- 
phoea: From Mr. A. W. Higgins of Rock, Mass., I received 
(July 23, 1926) an abandoned bluebird’s nest containing 154 
larvae and pupae of Protocalliphora. The nest was packed in a 
tight tin box and as the weather was exceedingly warm it heated 
in transit and the larvae were dead. Between July 30 and August 
3, 24 flies emerged, all representing P. splendida form sialia 
Shannon and Dobroscky. Among the pupae were 17 that were 
parasitized by a small chalcid, kindly determined for me by Mr. 
A. B. Gahan, as Mormoniella brevicornis Ashm. Some 204 spe- 
cimens of this chalcid emerged between August 3 and 4 from 
these pupae. Another bluebird’s nest collected by Mr. J. D. 
Smith at Needham, Mass., contained 33 pupae, from which 
emerged between August 3 and 5, 21 flies, all representing the 
form sialia. Of these 4 of the pupae were parasitized by the 
above chalcid. The blood sucking larvae of the Protocalliphora 
undoubtedly cause the death of many nestling birds. The 
above facts have been written up more in detail for an ornitho- 
logical journal. 
A laege numbee on Hxpi oboscids on an Owl i On Sep- 
tember 28, 1926, Dr. John C. Phillips captured a Great Horned 
Owl {Bubo virginianus) at Wenham, Mass. The specimen was 
sent to the Boston Society of Natural History and from it were 
taken 19 specimens of Ornithopomus americanus (Leach) and 34 
Ornithoica confluenta (Say). Seven puparia of the latter species 
were also found. In skinning the owl Mr. J. D. Smith found six 
of the 0. confluenta and three of the pupae in the ears of the bird. 
These figures do not represent by far all the flies infesting the 
owl, as the cahuffeur said a number of the flies left the bird and 
were flying about the automobile on the way to the Museum. 
Recoeds foe Muscina pascuorum Meigen, foe 1926: Two 
males of this species were taken by the writer at Salisbury Cove, 
