168 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XVIII. 



some of these genera to be broken up, although the details of structure within 



each genus are remarkably uniform. 



Appearance. — Bulky-bodied flies, ranging in length from about 6 mm. in the 



case of a small species of Ghrysops 

 (fig. A), to more than an inch in 

 that of the largest species of 

 Tabanus ^fig. 5). The head is 

 large, convex in front, concave 

 or flattened behind, in the male 

 almost wholly composed of the 

 eyes, which meet together above 

 in that sex, but are separated 

 in the female. In life the eyes 

 usually exhibit golden green or 

 purple markings. The antenna? 

 project conspicuously in front of 

 the head, as does also the pro- 



FlG. 6. 



9 Kassala, Sudan. 



-Pangonia maarettii, Bez;sl. 

 (X 2). 



boscis in many species of Pangonia (fig. 6), in which genus the latter organ is 

 sometimes enormously elongated. In other genera the proboscis is short, 

 and protrudes vertically beneath the head, with the piercing mouth-parts 

 enclosed in a fleshy lower lip. In colouration the majority of Tabanidse are 

 somewhat sombre, some shade of brown or black being the most frequent 

 hue, the abdomen, however, often being lighter or ex- 

 hibiting lighter markings. The wings, which when 

 at rest, diverge at the tips or are somewhat tectiform, 

 are in many species conspicuously banded or blotched ; 

 those of the species Hamatopota are characteristically 

 mottled. 



Life-history.— The spindle-shaped brown or black eggs 

 are deposited closely packed in sub-conical or flattened 

 masses, which are attached to the leaves and stems of 

 plants. The larvre are whitish soft-bodied grubs, and 

 are found in water, in wet sand or mud, in earth, or in 

 decaying vegetable matter. In shape they are cylindrical, 

 tapering at each end, with a small retractile head, and 

 often encircled with rings of retractile fleshy protuberances, which, however, 

 may be confined to the ventral side. These larvae are carnivorous, preying 

 upon beetle larvae, snails, worms, etc. The pupa, which is not unlike that of a 

 Lepidopterous insect, remains stationary in the earth or water, or in damp 

 rubbish at the edge of the latter. 



Habits of the perfect insects. — The males haunt flowers or herbage, but occa- 

 sionally hover in the air. The blood-sucking females are persistent tormentors 

 of human beings and domestic animals; horses, cattle, and elephants often 

 streaming with blood in consequence of their attacks. In " The Nile Tribu- 



FiG. ".—Ha-malopula, 

 8p* from Zululandi 

 in resting attitude, 

 showing the position 

 of the wingd ( X 2). 

 The wing markings 

 are omitted. 



