41 



parous, the females depositing larvae instead of eggs; rliese larvae 

 commence feeding immediately, and rapidly convert the noxious 

 material into a condition rendering it more suitable for })lant 

 assimilation. 



Family Muscidae. 



This family includes many scavengers also, and si'ch \/ell- 

 known forms as house-flies and blow-flies. The larvae vary 

 somewhat in habits, but the majority feed in animal and vegetable 

 refuse. 



Musca doincstica, Linn. (House Fly). 



The term "house-fly" has become a household word, and so 

 w^ll-known are these insects that even a brief description is super- 

 fluous. Undoubtedly, owing to its promiscuous habits of feed- 

 ing, this fly is a very important medium for the transportation 

 of numerous disease-producing micro-organisms. The larvae are 

 whitish pointed-headed maggots and appear to feed very gener- 

 ally in stable-refuse. 



StoiiiOA-ys calcitrans, Linn. (Stable Fly). 



This small brown fly causes considerable annoyance to stock 

 and superficially resembles the house-fly, but upon closer in- 

 spection it will be found to possess a well-developed set of pierc- 

 ing mouth organs dififering very considerably from the harmless 

 retractible sucking tube of the latter insect. The larvae are small 

 yellowish-white maggots and feed in horse ordure. 



Haematobia scrrata, Rob-Desv. (Horn-fly). 



This little greyish— brown fly is extremely injurious to cattle, 

 swarming at times upon the unfortunate beasts, which become 

 weakened by loss of blood and the constant annoyance and sores 

 caused by their attacks. Its presence on these islands appears 

 to have been first recorded in 1899.* 



The larvae are of a bright yellow and about one-third inch in 

 length, very pointed at the head extremity. These together with 

 the reddish hard egg-like pupae may be found in cow ordure, the 



* Rep. Alinister Interior, Haw., for 1858, p. 80. 



