232 , ' Transactions. 



Phorocera marginata. 



Common. Captured on a red rata bush at Eoslyn, September (1908), 

 and on a laurel hedge during May (1909). 



Phorocera tecta. (Hutton, Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. xxxvi, p. 151.) 

 Common at Barewood, Central Otago, during December (1908). 



Phania verecunda. 



I have only obtained a single specimen of this species, which was cap- 

 tured by sweeping the net through long grass at Roslyn, February (1909). 



Fam. Sarcophagid^ (Flesh-flies). 



The members of this family are to be found upon decaying animal and 

 vegetable matter. 



Sarcophaga impatiens. (Plate XXVIII, fig. 2.) 



This common fly is foxnid in most situations. During December (1907), 

 at Taieri Mouth, I captured a specimen near a swamp. About the middle 

 of June (1908) I picked up another individual which was lying on the 

 Tomahawk sea-beach, and several were obtained from the swamp behind 

 Murdering Beach during January (1909), as well as from Long Beach during 

 the two following months of the same year. 



Fam. MusciD^ (House-flies ; Blow-flies). 



Lucilia caesar (Green Bottle-fly, introduced). 



Abundant everywhere, living upon decaying animal matter. 



Calliphora erythrocephala (introduced Blow-fly). 

 Abounds in all situations. 



Calliphora quadrimaculata. 



The common New Zealand blow-fly. Abundant throughout the season 

 from about September onwards. 



Calliphora hortona. 



Common. During October (1908) I captured a large number on Ocean 

 Beach. On stirring up the heaps of dried seaweed which lay about the 

 sand above high-water mark I was surprised by the large numbers of this 

 species which emerged, together with numerous semi-transparent flies. 

 By examining the latter I found that they were specimens of C. hortona 

 which had evidently just completed pupation. When first observed, the 

 wings were crumpled or folded up longitudinally along the margin of the 

 dorsal surface of the abdomen. At this stage the whole body was greyish 

 in colour, and the abdomen, when held to the light, was seen to be semi- 

 transparent. After about three hours the coloration of the mature fly 

 began to develop : the abdomen became opaque and assumed the final 

 blue tint, the thorax became gradually darker, the bristles took on their 

 permanent colour, and the wings unfolded, the whole fly becoming trans- 

 formed in colour. Before this transformation commenced, the ptihnum 

 projected considerably, but was gradually withdrawn as the fly became 

 mature. The wings of this species presented a peculiar appearance im- 

 mediately after they had unfolded : two cross veins, connecting the first 

 and second longitudinal veins, were absorbed as maturity approached. I 

 have observed this structure in the wings of other genera. 



