HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



173 



Piophila casei, L., is the common " cheese- 

 hopper," living in old cheese. The imago is shining 

 black, with the lower part of the face yellow ; clear 

 wings ; hyaline black legs with the base of the 

 femora and tarsi yellowish ; long 3-35 mm. 



The other British species, P. lutcata, Hal., is 

 closely allied, the larvre living in old bacon. Kirby 

 and Spence have described its life history. 



The Ephydrince are a group of closely-allied, 

 sombre-coloured small flies, of which the British 

 species have been worked out by Haliday. They 

 are tolerably abundant in Ireland, but also occur all 

 over England in grass, fungi, and ditches ; some on 

 aquatic plants, and a fen on the sea coast, and in 

 salt-marshes. 



Hydrellia griseola, Fin., probably the commonest 

 species, is blackish grey, with clear wings, reddish 

 eyes and black face, which, when seen from below, 

 shows a wide whitish stripe in the centre ; long 

 3 mm. 



Drosophila, Fin., is found on Crucifcnc, the larvre 

 feeding an oak-apples. Their movements are slow ; 

 at least one species (D.funebris, F.) occurs in houses, 

 collecting round beer and wine casks. Reaumur 

 described the larva of one species. 



Meromyza, Mg., is a genus of limited extent, of 

 small black and yellow flies, inhabiting herbage. 

 Two species are common ; the peculiar venation 

 affords an easy means of recognition. 



Chlorops, Mg., is an extensive genus, of which 

 Verrall gives eight species as indigenous, though 

 probably several more will be found in Britain, 

 most of them common, living in the larval state on 

 wheat and barley, one species thus destroying the 

 sexual organs of the barley. 



Sometimes they occur in swarms. The species 

 are closely allied ; generally yellow in colour, marked 

 with black ; but some of them are tolerably easy to 

 recognise. They inhabit sunny fields and banks, 

 chiefly occurring during July and August. 



Oscinis, Latr., infests wheat, their habits being 

 similar to those of Chlorops. 



Agrornyza, Fin., supplies us with eleven species, 

 found in fields and woods ; small darkly-coloured 

 flies ; closely allied. 



Fhytomyza, Fin., has a venation of its own, and is 

 allied to Agrornyza. The European species of this 

 genus, as in Agrornyza, are very numerous. They 

 occur on plants from April till the end of summer. 

 \Valker speaks of a species infesting the corn- 

 feverfew. 



Borborus, Mg., is a genus of well-built, sombre- 

 coloured flies, several species being common, 

 especially B. equinus. Fin., which is a small brown 

 fly, the abdominal segments being sharply marked 

 off; the face yellowish ; the legs brown, with lighter 

 tibiae ; the wings nearly clear ; very variable, 

 especially in colouration of legs ; long 3-4 mm. 

 Haliday has monographed the British species of 



Borborus. The larva; live in decaying animal and 

 vegetable matter. 



In Limosiiia, Mcq., the venation is again peculiar 

 to itself, about twenty species being British. Haliday 

 has monographed them. 



Asteia, Mg., is found on haystacks. 



Cordyhira piibera, L., Wlk. ii. PI. xiii. 2. 

 Scatophaga scybalaria, L., Curt. 405. Orygma 

 hutiwsuin, IMg., Wlk. ii. PI. xiii, 5. Dryomyza 

 Jlaveola, F., Wlk. ii. PI. xiv. i. Sciomyza albocostata. 

 Fin., Wlk. ii, PI. xiii 7. Tetanocera ferruginea. 

 Fin., Wlk. ii., PI. xiv. 2. Psila fimctaria, L., Pauz. 

 XX. 22. Ortalis guttata, Mg. Curt. 649. Ulidia 

 deniandata, F. Wlk. ii, PI. xv. 4. Tephritis corni- 

 culata, Wlk. ii, PI. xv. 6. Sepsis anmilipes, Mg. 

 Curt. 245. Chlorops taiiiopus, Mg., Curt, Farm. Ins. 

 PI. H. Fig, 2. Agrornyza denticoniis, Pauz., Wlk. 

 ii. PI. xviii. 3. IJmosina sylvatica, Mg. Wlk. iL 

 PI. xiv. 9, 



30. Phorida, 



Over twenty species of this family are British, the 

 larvae feeding on animal and vegetable substances. 

 Bouche thinks some species are parasitic on larvae. 



Phora nifipes, Mg., lives on nearly everything, a 

 correspondent of mine once bred it from a beetle 

 (Rhizostrogiis solstitiaHs, Latr.), one of the scarabKid?e. 

 It is a blackish-brown fly, with pale yellowish- 

 brown legs and clear wings ; long 2 mm. 



The venation of this family is easily recognised, 

 being unlike that of any other group. 



Phora rufipes, Mg., Wlk. ii. PI. xix, 6. P. 

 abdominalis. Curt. 437. 



III. Eproboscidea. 



In this group the larvae and pupre are developed in 

 the abdomen of the female. In the imago the head 

 is retracted, and the antenna placed in a cavity 

 in the head. Wings rudimentary or abnormal ; 

 parasitic, 



31. Hippoboscidii. 



All the species of this family are more or less 

 uncommon ; the antenna; are stylate, the prothorax 

 distinct. 



Hippobosca eqiiina, L., known as the forest-fly, is 

 parasitic on horses and cattle, and occurs in the New 

 Forest and other parts of Britain, It is brown, the 

 dorsum of thorax darker, with a pale yellow triangular 

 spot in the centre ; scutellum yellow ; wings, abdomen, 

 and legs pale brown ; long 7 mm. 



Melophagus ovimis, L., is the sheep-tick. The 

 head is distinct from the thorax, the antennae are in 

 the form of tubercles ; no ocelli. 



Stenopteryx hirimdinis, L., lives on the swallow, 

 arid is not unfrequently found in their nests ; head 

 placed in a cavity of the thorax ; antennae ciliated ; 

 ocelli present. 



