This is one of the wingless species. It is so completely without wings that even the practised eye of the entomologist, aided by the microscope, can hardly detect the undeveloped rudiments of these organs. The insect, indeed, seems to be nothing but legs and abdomen, the latter being nearly flat and this shape being intended to serve a purpose which will round, presently be described.

LXXVI. Fig. 2 is given a figure of the Finch

On Woodcut Fly (Ornithomyia fringillaria). the right hand of the Fly, and at Fig. d, is drawn the

On under part of the head, so as to show the horny projections been mentioned in the description of the which have already Mr. Kirby remarks that he has himself suffered Sheep-tick. the attacks of one of the Omithomyise, which would from on his head, and driving their beaks into his persist in aUghting in catching two specimens, and found skin. He succeeded them to be Ornithomyia avicularia. of our present species is ochreous, changing in

The colour The head and thorax are shining some Hghts to green. and having a faint Une down the yellow mottled with bro^vn, The abdomen is dull green and hairy, middle of the back. and the claws jet black. The wings the legs are bright green, This is the smallest species of its are iridescent and smoky. small birds, such as the titgenus, and it is found on various and the robin. mouse, the yellow-hammer,

On Woodcut LXXVII. Fig. 1 is shown the insect which has been accepted as the type of its family. This is the too familiar Hoese-flt {Hippobosca equina).

This very plentiful and very unpleasant insect is an absolute pest to those who have to deal with spirited horses, especially when passing through woods. The Flies settle in numbers on

Hippobosca equina. 2. Stenopteryx hirundinis. a. Hippobosca equina, antenna. 6. Do., maxilla. c. Do., fore-leg. d. Stenopteryx hirundinis, fore-leg. c. Do., lip and tongue. /. Do., antenna. the animal, and cling so tightly with their hooked claws that they cannot be shaken oflf by any efforts of the aggrieved quadruped. They cluster round its eyes, get behind its ears, under the belly, and, if they can, creep under the tail. All the angry lashings of that organ do not in the least affect their flat and tough bodies, and the repeated pricks of their sharp beaks sometimes irritate a sensitive horse to such a degree that it runs away, in the vain hope of escaping its persecutors.

The life history of this insect is very remarkable.

Fortunately for horses, the Horse Fly is anything but prolific, producing its young in a mode which is, I believe, confined to insects of this group. The mother Horse Fly never lays more than one egg, but then that egg is a phenomenon. In truth, it ought not to be called an egg, having no more right to that title than the so-called ‘ ants’ eggs ’ which have already been described. The reader may remember that the eggs of certain Flies are hatched in the body of the parent, so that they are deposited in the larval and not the egg state. The Hippobosca goes a step further. The egg, as it appears to be, is no egg at all, but the skin of the larva, within which the pupa is formed, so that the young Hippobosca is already a pupa when it enters the world.

When first produced, the puparium (to use the scientific term) is white ; but it soon darkens, and becomes quite hard and tough. If it be opened carefully, within it may be found the pupa, an odd-looking, crab-like being, with the legs tightly folded over the body. When the time comes for the assumption of the perfect state, it throws off the pupal skin, which it leaves within the puparium, pushes off the end of the case in which it had resided, and emerges as a perfect insect.

The chief points in the external anatomy of this insect are given on the same Woodcut. Fig. a represents one of the separated from the head. Fig. h is the part of the antennae mouth containing the diverging horns which Irave already been mentioned, and Fig. c represents one of the fore-legs, with its very powerful thigh, and its black, incurved claws.

At Fig. 2 of the same Woodcut is seen the Swallow Fly so called because it is found almost {Stenopteryx hirundinis), on the swallow tribe. The generic name is formed exclusively two Greek words signifying ‘ narrow-winged,’ and is very from as may be seen by reference to the illustration. appropriate,

Mr. Kirby mentions that this Fly sometimes attacks human : — ‘ One found its way into the bed of the Eev. E. beings where it first, for several nights, sorely annoyed a Sheppard, friend of his, and afterwards himself, wdthout their suspecting the culprit. After a close search, however, it was discovered, in the form of this Fly, which, forsaking the nest of the

swallow, had by some chance taken its station between the sheets, and thus glutted itself with the blood of man.’

Mr. Sheppard remarks, as a reason for this dereliction of their appropriate food, that no sooner does life depart from the bird that these Flies infest, than they immediately desert it and take flight, alighting upon the flrst living creatui'e that they meet with ; which, if it be not a bird, they soon quit, but, as it should seem from the above facts, not until they have made a trial how it will suit them as food.’

The fore-leg of this insect is shown at Fig. d, the lip and tongue at e, and the antenna at /. These organs should be compared with those of the previously described insects, as by their means identification becomes easy.

The generic name of the insect represented on Woodcut LXXVIII. Fig. 1 is formed from two Grreek words, signifying ‘ blood-devourer,’ and is very appropriate. Its scientific name is Hcemoboi^a pallipes. I believe it is not common enough to have any popular name.

The general colour of this insect is shining greenish-yellow, clouded with brown. The eyes and claws are black. Beneath, the thorax is boldly punctured, and covered with short and strong hairs. The wings are nearly transparent, with yellow nervm'es, and slightly ciliated on the costal margin. The insect is found in the New Forest, attacking indiscriminately any kind of quadruped.

The points in which this insect differs from those which have hitherto been described are shown in the illustration. Fig. a gives the front view of its head, which, as will at once be seen, is very different from that of the other Hippoboscidse. The wings, too, are very much larger in proportion, and have a few very distinct nervures. The antenna is feathered, and the fore-leg, as shown at b, is short and strong. The peculiar form of the mentum, with its array of bristles, is shown at c.

The second family of this group, or Nycteribiids, has the head very small and set on the back or upper part of the thorax, and it cannot be bent down into a cavity of the under surface of the thorax, as is the case with the preceding insect. They are without wings, but Mr. Westwood thinks that a pair T T 2

of curious little organs, like semi-circular combs, which are at the base of the intermediate legs, are the representatives of wings. The thorax is flat, and seems to be made almost entirely of the first joints of the legs, which are very long in proportion to the size of the body.

There is a peculiarity in the legs of these insects which is worthy of notice. The basal joint of the tarsus, instead of

Htemobora pallipes. 2. Nycteribia Latreilli. a. Hasmobora, front vieTT.

b. Do., leg. c. Do., mentum. d. Nycteribia, leg. e. Do., head, side view.

short, as is usually the case, is very long, and being small and so thick, is quite as long as the tibia itselt. in fact, though not from the rest of the limb, it would e Indeed, were it separated tibia. The claws, too, are so large certainly mistaken for the observer of the sting of the scorpion. that they remind the the legs is shown at Fig. d of Woodcut LXXVIII. One of LXXVIII. is shown the insect popularly caflea

On Woodcut because it is never found except on the bat. the Bat-Louse,

name, thougli, is quite as inappropriate as that of the Wood- Louse, both words signifying creatures which belong to different classes in the animal kingdom. Its colour is ochreous and shining. The hinder part of the thorax is deeply waved, and it is punctured beneath, with a channel down the centre. The abdomen is ochreous brown, and the legs are covered with hair, the tibifB being very broad and flat. It is plentiful on the common Bat ( Vespertilio murinua), so that there is no difficulty in procuring this curious insect. If a hat he killed, and taken into the hand, the Nycterihiae immediately crawl from beneath the hairs of the dead animal, and crowd upon the hand of the holder. As long as the animal is alive they remain upon it, hut no sooner is the life extinct than the Nycterihi^ desert it, and fasten upon the first living being that they can find, just as has been related of the Bird Flies. In some mysterious manner they know at once that the life, which constitutes their home, has fled, and they at once desert the empty tenement.

Our task is now ended, and all that remains is to see how to prepare — or ‘ set,’ as is the technical term — insects which are taken as specimens for the cabinet. On Fig. 1 of the accompanying illustration, the little black dot shows the spot at which the pin ought to be inserted in all Beetles that are more than a quarter of an inch in length. Even those of smaller size can he thus treated, provided that the entomologist use one of the fine pins which are employed for this special purpose, and can he obtained at any of the naturalists’ shops.

The best pins are gilt, so as to prevent them from producing that abominable green verdigris which is almost invariably to be found springing from the spot where the pin pierces the insect, and which so often covers and spoils the insect itself. Beetles of smaller size should be set on little strips of white card-board, some transparent cement being used for the purpose. In this case, one specimen at least should he set on its back, so as to show the under side, on which the entomologist often finds the principal distinguishing characteristics. The same rule applies to Earwigs, Grrasshoppers, and their kin. It is always as well to set one specimen with spread wings, when those organs are present.

Fig. 2 shows the place of the pin in Butterflies, Moths, Bees, Flies, Dragon-flies, and their kin, and indeed in all insects where the wings are spread. Fig. 4 shows the manner in which the card braces are used for the purpose of fixing the wings, and Fig. 3 shows a section of the ‘ setting-board,’ the upper part being made of cork.

Lxxix

Such a board, however, is rather a luxury than a necessity. Cutting a groove in cork is a very difficult business, and can scarcely be done by any except a professional cork-cutter, instruments are specially made for the purpose, are as whose as razors, and are sharpened after every cut that is keen-edged with them. I have found, for my part, that it is quite made two strips of cork side by side on a piece of sufficient to fasten between them a space just sufficient for the soft wood, leaving body of the insect.

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