228 Transactions. 



observed one specimen, which, had been wet, struggle to a dry piece of sand 

 (about a quarter of an inch in diameter), and, mounting this, stand up with, 

 its feet held closely together and stretch, out its wings to dry in the 

 wind. In this, I tliink, it would have been successful had it not happened 

 that a wave coming up a Httle farther than usual enveloped the fly, and 

 carried it back into the struggling mass of its fellows. As the tide went 

 out there was left stretching along the beach a sinuous line composed 

 of these flies and also representatives of other genera. Enormous numbers 

 of Diptera are thus destroyed. When walking along Ocean Beach one 

 day 1 was surprised to see a black continuous band stretching along 

 the sand as far as the eye could reach ; on examining it I found this dark 

 line to be composed of m}Tiads of small black flies belonging to the 

 family Mycetophilidce, which were evidently carried there by a strong 

 breeze. 



Saropogon hudsoni. 



Found at Taieri Mouth in company with S. fugiens. I also captured 

 a single specimen on Mount Cargill during February (1909) ; the weather 

 was very hot and sunny, there being no wind. 



Itamus varius. (Plate XXIX, fig. 6.) 



Captured on the sea-beach at Taieri Mouth, January (1908). This fly 

 was not then common : only a single representative was captiu'ed ir this 

 locality. It was more abundant at Barewood, Central Otago, where I 

 captured several during December (1908). The specimens observed at 

 Barewood would, when approached, either fly for a short distance and 

 again alight or run into a tussock. 



Fam. Therevid^. 



The members of this family are not so active as those of the AsilidcB, 

 but otherwise they agree in habits. 



Anabarhynchus bilineatus. 



Length, 16 mm. I captured a single specimen at Taieri Mouth, Janu- 

 ary (1908), and two on Murdering Beach during the same month of the 

 following year. This species is not common ; it is to be found on sand- 

 hills during warm weather. 



Anabarhynchus micans. 



Smaller than the preceding, being about 10 mm. in length. This species 

 does not appear to be common, since only two specimens were foimd, on 

 ivy, in the sun, at Roslyn, November (1907). 



Fam. Empidid^. 



These flies are predaceous in their habits, and are seldom found in 

 barren situations, on account of the presence in these locahties of their 

 more powerful allies, the AsilidcB. 



Hilara fulvipes. 



This is a small, abundant species, about 4 mm. in length, to be 

 found in swarms hovering over bushes and flowers from November to 

 February. 



