LIFE HISTORIES OF MUSCA AND ALLIES. 37 



manufactures l)y their great numbers, J. AV. Clarke ^^ 

 and others have narrated. Perhaps the most surprising 

 charge made against them is that of Murray/"^ M'ho states 

 that he has observed the imago of Culex hght uj)on baby 

 trout Avhich come to the surface of the water, and literally 

 pump out their unsuspecting little brains before they 

 could escape. 



Since writing the above we have been able to observe 

 the poison droplets alluded to by Macloskie,®^ see page 

 33, and have been successful in getting this minute 

 amount of fluid on the point of a needle. An attempt 

 to inoculate ourselves with the poison was, however, not 

 successful, owing probably to the inferiority of the needle 

 as an injector compared with the delicate hypopharynx. 



II. 



LIFE HISTORIES AXD STRUCTURE OF 

 IklUSCA AXD ALLIES. 



It is not our purpose to devote as much space to the 

 early stages and habits of Musca and its allies as has 

 been given to Culex, for the following reasons : — 



1. They are better understood and the descriptions in 

 the various text books of the science are fuller and more 

 accurate in detail. 



2. In the larval or maggot stage they are undoubtedly, 

 as a family, not open to the attacks of the Odonata, and, 

 consequently, only such habits of life which place them in 

 the enemy's reach need be discussed. 



3. In the imago state the most casual observer has a fair 

 opportunity to judge for himself just how far the house fly 



