Vol. XX'i] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS 417 



spicuous. Between these eyes there are three simple eyes, or 

 ocelli, arranged in the form of a triangle. Between these 

 large eyes as well as along the sides of the thorax and on the 

 end of the abdomen there are several hairs or bristles which 

 serve as a protection. The antennae are also found between 

 the eyes and consist of three joints, the third one provided 

 with a feathered bristle. They may be bent down into a 

 groove in the front of the head, and on that account are not 

 so apt to be observed as those of most insects. 



The mouth-parts consist of a pair of palpi, one on each 

 side of a proboscis or sheath, which encloses three pointed 

 portions. The proboscis of the green-bottle, as that of the 

 house-fly when not in use, may be drawn into a groove on the 

 under side of the head, and it has at its extremity two flex- 

 ible lobes. This is quite large as compared with that of many 

 Diptera, and consists of two lobes ; it has no large veins and 

 its only use seems to be to act as a protection to the halteres. 

 These latter are very small, as the larger the alulet, the small- 

 er the halteres. Their use is doubtful, but they are probably 

 of value in flight, as it is said if one be cut off the insect will 

 fly sideways, and if both be removed it cannot fly. They vi- 

 brate constantly, and as air passages extend from them 

 through the whole body, they fill the nervures of the wings 

 by means of these movements ; a nerve runs their whole 

 length from the papill?e at their base and they may be organs 

 of smell or of hearing. The legs consist of the five parts: 

 coxa, trochanter, femur, tibia and tarsus, common to all in- 

 sects, the last joint of the tarsus having two pads with a 

 pointed portion, the empodium between them. At intervals 

 along the legs and at every joint are two or more bristles, 

 these are not only useful as a protection, but also as cleansers. 



Everyone must have noticed flies rubbing their heads, 

 wings and abdomen with their legs, this is to clean them, as 

 these hairs then act as a brush. 



Tn some places Diptera of the species Lucilia are a men- 

 ace to cattle and even to man; in The Netherlands Lucilia 

 sericata deposits its eggs in the wool of sheep, and in South 



