HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



gentians and other flowers in December, but no 

 ■doubt hard frosts will shortly kill the few remaining 

 species. We must then wait till February when the 

 early " snow flakes " will show their heads, hepaticas, 

 Scilla bifolia, corydalis, the crocus, sweet daphne, 

 and an endless succession of spring flowers put forth 

 blossoms. 



To the above list of flowers on December 5, we 

 should add Corydalis lutea, out in profusion on an 

 old stone wall at the upper end of the village of 

 Territet. 



('. Parkinson, F.G.S. 



The fly is about the same size as the house-fly ; is 

 of a dark sage green colour, rather thickly covered 

 with black hair. The wings have a tendency to 

 assume a rusty brown hue towards the base ; the legs 

 are decidedly a dead black. 



I have selected this creature as the subject of the 

 present sketch, for the reason it may be looked upon 

 as a typical example of form — all the teeth being 

 similarly shaped, as in the blow-fly, but differing 

 therefrom in the following respect : they terminate 

 in three distinct points, having perfectly straight 

 edges, and therefore differing from Musca domcstica 



Fjg. 1. — Teeth of ' Anthomyia meteorica, mag. 200 diams. a, position of secondary teeth. 



TEETH OF FLIES. 



ANTHOMYIA METEORICA. 



By W. D. Harris, Cardiff. 



No. III. 



HOW troublesome and teasing is that cloud of 

 flies {Anthomyia meteorica) which readers must 

 often have noticed in summer rides hovering round the 

 heads and necks of our horses, accompanying them 

 as they go, and causing a perpetual tossing of the 

 former (Kirby & Spence). To this might be safely 

 added, if they cannot find the horse they have no 

 very decided objection to accompany the pedestrian, 

 and he must be very thick skinned, or come from a 

 very well behaved stock, if he is not tempted to 

 speak of his persecutors in language more forcible 

 than polite. 



minor. They are very long and narrow, but, neverthe- 

 less, very strong instruments, the chitine being quite 

 dark as compared with some creatures. 



Three of the central teeth appear to be backed up 

 with indications of a second row (a) ; but the chitine is 

 very delicate, and if present in the remaining teeth is 

 difficult to make out ; each lobe of the proboscis 

 contains eight teeth, and here again is a distinction 

 which often creeps in when the same form is preserved, 

 as will be seen later on. 



On the 5th December, Mr. R. Meldola, F.C.S., 

 read a paper at the Geologists' Association, on a 

 "Preliminary Notice of the East Anglian Earth- 

 quake " of April 22nd, 1SS4. Dr. Hicks also gave a 

 paper on " Some Recent Views concerning the 

 Geology of the North-West Highlands." 



