98 Rev. Mr. Kirsy’s Continuation of the 
ticed twelve at one time depofiting their eggs in the fame ear. It 
is remarkable that amongft the myriads that I have feen of the 
female, I fhould not have obferved one which I could take for the 
male: indeed, towards the latter end of the month, (24th,) I took 
two or three fpecimens, which, except that they had black bodies 
and were fmaller, appeared exactly fimilar to our Tipula; but as 
neither their antennz are hairy, nor their wings fpotted, as was the - 
cafe with the fpecimen you. received from Mr. Markwick, they can 
 fcarcely be the male. Indeed the appearance of the male, inftead of 
. being later than that of the female, ought to be as early or earlier, 
in order that they may be in readinefs to perform the work of im- 
 pregnation previous to the feafon in which the females lay their 
eggs, which begins, at leaft it did this year, with the month of June. 
Hence I fuppofe that each fex is difclofed from the pupa in the ge- 
nial month of May, when, to ufe the poetical language of Scopoli 
upon another occafion, “ nuptias inffituunt, de loco in locum continu) vo- 
litantes, xephyro plaudente choreis (ay: ; : 
Although thefe infe&ts are fo numerous in the evening, yet in 
the morning not a fingle one is to be feen upon the wing: they do 
not however then quit the field which is the {cene of their employ- 
ment; for, upon fhaking the ftalks of the wheat, or otherwife dif- - 
turbing them, they will fly about near the ground in great num- 
bers. I found their ftation of repofe to be upon the lower part of | 
. the culm, with their heads upwards. oer. cd 
It is very entertaining to obferve the method to which thefe in- 
fects have recourfe in order to depofit their eggs in a fituation where 
the larvae may foon arrive at their food : when engaged in this em- 
ployment they are not foon difturbed; which circumftance affords 
the obferver an excellent opportunity of examination. As I hinted 
(d) Ent. Carnicl, n. 801, ubi de Ape fabulosé. 
before, 
