DIPTERA. 
441 
except where it has become firmly established as a part of a 
specific name. The Wheat-midge and the Clover-seed Midge 
are examples of names of this kind; it would not be wise to 
attempt to change these names, although the insects they 
represent belong to the Gall-gnat family, and hence are not 
true midges. 
Midges often appear in large swarms, dancing in the air, 
especially towards the close of day. Professor Williston 
states that, over meadows in the Rocky Mountains, he has 
seen them rise at nightfall in most incredible numbers, pro¬ 
ducing a buzzing or humming noise like that of a distant 
waterfall, and audible for a considerable distance. 
The larvae are either aquatic or terrestrial; they have 
two pairs of spiracles, one at each end of the body, or are 
furnished with tracheal gills. Some of the pupaB are free 
and active, others are quiescent; some of the latter remain 
partially enclosed in the split larval skin. 
Many of our species belong to the genus Chironomus 
(Chi-ron'o-mus). These are mosquito-like in form, but vary 
greatly in size, some being smaller than our common mos¬ 
quitoes, and others much larger. The head is small, the 
snout, comparatively short, and the antennae of the males 
very bushy. The larvce so far as they are known are aquatic. 
Many of them are blood-red in color; and as they live in 
standing water they are sometimes found in vessels contain¬ 
ing rain-water, where they appear like bits of animated red 
thread. The pupse of this genus, like those of mosquitoes, 
are active. 
To the genus Ceratopogon (Cer-a-to-po'gon) belong the 
small midges commonly known as punkies. Of these there 
are many species, which vary greatly in size and color. 
The body and legs are not as slender as in the preceding 
genus, and consequently the insects appear much less mos- 
quito-like. Certain minute species are sometimes very 
abundant, and extremely annoying on account of their bites. 
We have found them exceeding troublesome in the Adiron- 
