222 Transactions. — Zoology. 



of inflicting a severe bite. Eepresented by a moderate number 

 of species in New Zealand. 



Family 8. Chironoviidce (Midges). — Small. Antennae slen- 

 der, beautifully adorned with hairs in the male. Proboscis 

 fleshy and short. Ocelli, none. Abdomen and legs long and 

 slender. Wmgs slender, veins as in CulicidcB, but no scales, 

 though hairs are often present. Larvae and pupae generally 

 aquatic, but some feed on dung and decaying vegetable 

 matter. Perfect insect common in the neighbourhood of 

 water. Some specimens capable of biting. 



Family 9. OiyhnejMlida. — Small. Antennae short. Ocelli 

 absent. Proboscis little projecting. Thorax elevated. Legs 

 rather short. Wings long and narrow ; veins uniformly dis- 

 tinct. Little appears to be known of this family. I have no 

 species belonging to it. 



Family 10. Psydiodidce (Moth Midges). — Very small flies. 

 Antennae long, whorled with hairs. Ocelli, none. Body 

 clothed with coarse hair. Legs rather long ; tibiae without 

 spurs. Wings broad and hairy, with many longitudinal veins. 

 Larvae living in fungi and rotten wood. Perfect insect fre- 

 quently found on walls and windows. Represented by a few 

 species in New Zealand, one at least of which is very com- 

 mon. 



Family 11. TipztlidcB (Daddy-long-legs). — The largest flies 

 in this division, and in linear dimensions, if not in bulk, the 

 largest flies of the order. Antennae long and thread-like, 

 often furnished with long hairs, or pectinated. Almost all 

 without ocelli. Proboscis fleshy, rather prominent, and some- 

 times long. Thorax with a V-shaped transverse suture. 

 Legs extremely long and fragile ; tibiae often spurred at the 

 tip. Wings long, with a very complete neuration ; discoidal 

 cell present in most cases ; basal cells very long. Larvae and 

 pupae found in the ground, in rotten wood, in water, or in the 

 leaves and stems of plants. Species extremely abundant in 

 New Zealand, being found in numbers in all damp and shady 

 situations. 



Family 12. Dlxidce. — Medium-sized gnats. Antennae long. 

 Ocelli wanting. Proboscis rather promment. Body slender. 

 Legs long and slender. Wings somewhat large, occasionally 

 spotted ; six longitudinal veins ; discoidal cell wanting. 

 Larvae aquatic. I have only found three specimens in New 

 Zealand, all of which were taken on windows. According to 

 Skuse they are common in Australia. 



Family 13. BJiyphidce. — Moderate -sized flies. Antennae 

 moderately long. Ocelli, three. Legs rather long and slender. 

 Wings rather long and broad, with a discoidal cell. This 

 family contains a single genus. The larvae feed on vegetable 

 matter, cow-dung, &c. Perfect insects found in outhouses and 



