140 
PHILIPP C. ZELLER AS A DIPTEKOLOGIST 
“ These flies are very sober and but little subject to thirst, for they hardly 
ever visit flowers, even on hot days. It is during the present season that I 
have, for the first time, observed them to do so. Formerly, I had seen 
them sometimes alighting on flowers; but they always flew off without 
sucking. The flowers of Sedum acre (stone-crop) have a great attraction for 
them; round a spot covered with Sedum in blossom, on July G, 1839,1 have 
seen at the same time Anthrax morio, afra, maura, varia , and mucida, each 
represented by several specimens, and sucking the nectar, and this sight at 
once put an end to the doubts I had entertained about Meigen’s assertion. 1 
Still later (July 12) I found A. cingulata on the flowers of Atliamanta oreo- 
selinum. Before that, I had but once observed an A. morio sucking the 
dew accumulated in the hollow of a leaf. . . . Notwithstanding the large 
wings and their strong vibration, I have never heard them hum. A large 
A. cingulata I believe to have heard producing a slight sound.” 
In regard to the Asilidae, lie says (p. 34): — 
“ So far as I know,nobody has as yet observed an analogy between them and 
the Libellulae, especially Libellula ( Agrion ) purlla. This analogy, neverthe¬ 
less, exists, and was first noticed by me in a species in which it is almost re¬ 
duced to a minimum, Asilus punctipennis. It is much more apparent in the 
slender species of Dioctria and Leptogaster. The opportunities for compar¬ 
ing them are frequent, because they very often occur together in the same 
localities. As resting-places they select protruding ends of branches, sticks 
of wood, or blades of grass, from the end of which they have a good survey, 
and can easily start for flight. Between bushes both make the same adroit 
evolutions, and keep the legs ready for grasping. The legs are provided 
with spines of different size which enable them to have a good hold of their 
prey. The hind femora are longer than the front and middle ones. The 
prey being secured, the robber occupies the nearest resting-place and de¬ 
vours or sucks his booty with so much greed that, forgetful of his usual 
caution, he is easily caught.” 
It would be only justice to Zeller to have his hundred pages re¬ 
printed and made more accessible to the general public. Zeller had 
an excellent influence upon Loew, with whom he spent eight years 
as Professor in the Gymnasium in Meseritz (1860-1868), and to 
whom he generously communicated the admirably preserved col¬ 
lections of Diptera which he used to bring home from his walks 
1 Meigen, III, p. 142, says: “ Sie fiiegen aus bei heissem Sonnenscheine und besau- 
gen die Blumen.” 
