126 



HARDWICKKS SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



and bivalve shells innumerable, may be collected by 

 the geologist, both in the quarries and road mender's 

 stone heaps, trigonias and grypheas being exceedingly 

 common ; rhynchonellas and terebratulas occur 

 abundantly in our garden ; and when, after a heavy 

 summer downpour, the converging water-courses 

 pour their united streams adown our lane, it is con- 

 verted into a very mountain-torrent, which sweeps all 

 before it, leaving the rock clean swept. From this 

 we may pick many small specimens. The collector 

 will, however, doubtless prefer to gather his finds in 

 the numerous quarries existing in the neighbourhood, 

 nor need he diverge many steps from our lane to ob- 

 tain the objects of his quest. 



Very imperfectly hath my pleasant task been per- 

 formed. I would that some more facile pen than mine 

 had writ the story. But briefly though it hath been 

 told, 'tis yet enough to show that within the circum- 

 scribed limits of our lane is stored materials of abid- 

 ing interest, and that to record the life-history of its 

 denizens would fully engage each busy moment of a 

 life, e'en though its span should far exceed the 

 allotted threescore years and ten. 



Alas ! the besom of so-called improvement hath 

 ruthlessly swept away many a sweet refuge from the 

 toils and tumult of the restless world ; the joy of 

 many a humble worshipper at Nature's shrine hath 

 long since been translated into a pleasant memory. 



Though threatened, many yet survive — long may 

 they be preserved — and last to disappear, and leave 

 the world less beautiful, I trust may be " Our Lane." 



; AN INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF 

 BRITISH DIPTERA. 



By E. Brunetti. 



\Continuedfrotn p. 105.] 

 X^.. BombylidcE. 



THE typical Bombylida: are large bee-like flies, 

 with large, globular, very pubescent abdomens, 

 long proboscis, and long, very slender legs ; their 

 flight being very swift, feeding on nectar, and in- 

 habiting dry warm spots in the height of summer. 



The larvae live on plant roots, or are parasitic on 

 Lepidoptera. All the half-score or thereabouts of 

 British species are more or less uncommon. The 

 transformation of several species have been chronicled 

 by Reaumur and Schaffer. 



Proboscis long ; antenna; contiguous at base. 



First antennal joint long : Boiiihylius, L. 



First antennal joint short : Phthiria, Mg. 

 Proboscis short; antenna; at base remote; Anthrax, Scop. 



Anthrax paniscus, Rossi, has a somewhat 

 oblongated black abdomen, covered with dense 

 yellow pubescence, as is also the thorax ; the wings 

 being pale grey, the legs black, the proboscis rather 

 short (for this family). The species basks in the 

 sunshine; long 12 mm. A. fenestrata, Fin., comes 



from the New Forest. A. morio, L., a common 

 continental species, has been reared from larvae in 

 the nest of a bee {Aiiihophora). I have one or two 

 specimens of Anthrax in which spurious veins are 

 present, this apparently being no uncommon thing in 

 this genus. 



Bombylius major, L., has a globular black 

 abdomen, densely covered (and the thorax also) with 

 pale yellow pubescence ; proboscis very long ; legs 

 long, slender, black ; wings clear, with the fore 

 border marked with brown ; long 9 mm. 



An allied and less common species (B, discolor, 

 Mik.), often mistaken for B. meditis, L., which is a 

 non-British species, is rather larger, and has the 

 wings marked with numerous small circular brown 

 spots, and appears in spring, especially on primrose. 



European and exotic species of this family are 

 very numerous, and assume large proportions and 

 brilliant colouring. 



No less than twenty-seven species, additional to the 

 eight he admits as British, have been introduced as 

 indigenous, according to Mr. Verrall. 



B. major, L., Wlk. i. PI. ii. 14. A, paniscus, 

 Rossi, Mg., Sys. Bes. iii. PI. xvii. 19 (cingulata). 



18. Therevidcc, 



Carnivorous Diptera, frequenting sandy spots ; the 

 sexes differing in the colour of the pubescence. 

 Flight swift ; larva living in the earth. Abdomen 

 elongated; venation well marked; legs rather delicate 

 and easily broken off. Allied to the Asilidce and 

 Bombylida:, with which latter family Walker 

 erroneously included them. 



The six authenticated British species are more or 

 less rare, T. fulva, Mg., being perhaps the most 

 common. It is a black fly, with yellow bands across 

 the abdomen, which is clothed with thin yellow 

 pubescence, the dorsum of the thorax being bluish - 

 grey, with two central longitudinal yellow stripes ; 

 wings greyish, tinged with yellow ; legs smooth and 

 tawny ; long 9 mm. 



7*. nobilitata, F., is also not rare. 



T. annulata, ¥., is easily known by its white 

 pubescence — present in both sexes. Meigen records 

 the larva of this species as living in rotten wood. 



The genus Thereva is now usually split up into 

 three, distinguished as follows : — 



Under-side of face naked : Psilocephala, Zett. 

 Under-side of face hairy. 



Fourth posterior cell open : Dialineura, Rond. 



Fourth posterior cell closed : Thereva, Latr. 



19. Scetiopittida, 



Three species of this small, natural group (only 

 one genus being European), are British : the venation 

 is peculiar, somewhat resembling that of the 

 acalypterate Muscida: ; sluggish flies. 



Scenopinus fenestralis, L., is not rare, occurring in 

 houses, hotbeds, greenhouses, and on willows, the 



