200 SELECTED NOTES FROM 



scattered around the centre of the disc, and then passing in rays 

 of single puncta to the margin, near to which there is often a 

 double row. Sometimes the puncta at the centre are more clearly 

 aggregated. The typical form is to be found in any of the 

 Californian deposits. 



S. Calif., var. areolala, has a secondary set of areolate or 

 reticulate markings, which appear in focussing down a little. 



S. Hardtnatiianus. — The radiating compartments are very 

 numerous, and the rays towards the outside consist of five or six 

 rows of minute granules, and round the centre are usually one or 

 two circles of small granules ; the puncta are not so large and the 

 hnes between are longer. 



6". nitidus is dotted over sparsely with large shining puncta, 

 giving it a brilliant appearance. A. Clarke-Smith. 



Description of Plate IX. Stictodiscus. 



No. 1. — S. Calif ornicus. 



No. 2. — S. jjarallelus f, triguna. 



No. 3. — S. parallehis f. trigona, v. gibbosa. 



No. 4. — S. parallelusf. quadrata. 



Breeze Fly, Foot of.— The " Foot of the Fly "' is a subject to 

 reason upon from analogy, as it is so small an object, and a fly's 

 walking is so impossible to observe that I do not see how it can 

 be " settled " positively either way. 



The Breeze-Fly, Tabanus Bovinus, is one of the Gad Flies. 

 This family has three pads to their feet. I think some other flies 

 have also, but am not sure. I certainly believe the ends of the 

 hairs on the skinny pad are all " hooked." I do not see the 

 expansion at the end, except when the end is out of focus. I can 

 quite believe in a viscid fluid to help to make the vacuum secure, 

 but I cannot think that enough is poured out to stick the fly's foot 

 to the glass, and that then the fly can wrench the feet away quickly 

 enough to walk as it does. I allow that the adhesion in a vacuum 

 is a strong argument against the sucker theory, but a real vacuum 

 is very difiicult to get, and a very partial one would support a fly, 

 I think. Then old flies (or, rather, weakly onesj might have their 

 feet stuck to the glass by the fluid and not be able to take them 

 up, though they use a sucker generally. 



