Jan., 1904.] On Diptera of the Family Ephydridae. 63 ON DIPTERA OF THE FAMILY EPHYDRIDAE. James S. Hine. The literature on this family, so far as North American forms are concerned, is accessible to most students. In Monograph of N. A. Diptera, 1862, I, 129-172, and in Zeitschr. f. d. Ges. Naturw., 1878, LI, 192-203, Loew gives the results of his studies. In Berliner Entom. Zeitschrift, 1896, XI^I, 91-276, Becker full}' treats the European species, and it is necessar}-to refer to this work for a consideration of the species common to the two countries. Williston has described a number of species in North American Fauna, 1893, VII, 257-258, and in Diptera of St. Vincent, 1899, 389-404. The same author furnishes a contribution to the life history of one of the species and describes the adult of Ephydra californica Packard in Trans. Conn. Acad., 1883, VI, 83-86. Coquillett has published several papers in which new genera and species are described as follows : Ent. News, 1896, VII, 220; Can. Entom., 1899, XXXI, 8 ; Diptera of Puerto Rico, 1900, 259 262 ; Can. Entom., 1900, XXXII, 33-36 ; Diptera from the Harrimau Alaska Expedition, 1900, 461-462 ; Journal N. Y. Ent. Soc. 1902, X, 182-184. Wheeler has reviewed the genus Octhera and described one new species in Ent. News, 1896, VII, 121-123. Howard has given a full account of Psilopa petrolei Coquillett, found breeding in crude petroleum in California, in Scientiiic American, 1899, LXXX, 75-76. One who collects Diptera in marshes or along streams is likel}-, sooner or later, to become interested in the numerous species of this family. Among the various water plants that grow^ in the marshes at Sandusky, one finds them plentiful, and some of the forms are the most numerous of all insects during at least a part of the summer. From a row-boat one can see them running over lily pads, wild rice and other foliage, but they are difficult to capture, since they are very active and fly away before the cyanide bottle can be placed over them, or if one uses a net he has to strike so low that it is almost impossible to prevent dipping it in the water, and by so doing spoil the specimens he succeeds in entrapping. After a little experience the collector is led to realize that the specimens running over foliage are trifling with him. Better results may be obtained by collecting from flowers of water lilies. Locate one of these flowers and place the hand gently over its top in such a way as to entrap the flies that are feeding on its nectar ; then without gripping tightly enough to crush the flower and with it the entrapped insects, pull it from its peduncle and drop into a wide-mouthed cyanide bottle prepared for the purpose. This is the most desirable method I have ever
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