ENTOMOLOGY. 49 



ITcvacliela'. 

 Family Tabanidse. 

 Tliis family embraces the Gad Hies. 



Tctrnchcfw. 



Famihj Asilidae. 

 Of this family, epecies of Baaypngon, Xam, and Laph-ia have been recorded from 

 Burma. Asilus is the fly whicli Virjjil describes as tcrrityiua; cattle in Italy, and to 

 escape which he recommends pasturing the herds in the early morning and in the 

 evening only — 



"Est luoos Silarl circa, ilicibusque Tireutem 

 Plurimus Alburnum volitaus, oui nomen Asilo 

 Eomanum est (Qistrum Graii vertere vocantes), 

 Asper, acerba sonans ; quo tota exterrita silvis 

 Ditfugiunt armenta ; fnrit mugitibus scther 

 Concussus, silvffique et sicci ripa Tauagri. 

 Hunc quoque (nam mediis fervoribus acrior instat) 

 Aroebis gravido pecori, armeiitaque pasces 

 Sole recens orto, aut noctem ducentibus astris." 



The description applies also to the alarm caused to horses, cattle, ami ruminants 

 in general by various (Edrida. 



Family Bombyliidae. 



AnIHKAX SEiriSCITA. 

 TEICUOPnTHALJIIA, Sp. 

 DiSCOCEPHALA, Sp. 



Family Syrphidse. 

 Ekistalis andejemon-, "Walk. 



,, AMPHICRAIES, Walk. 



Dichcfw. 



Family Muscidee. 

 Tachfn-a ftjsifoemis, Walk. 



Sub-order NEMOCERA. 



To this sub-order belong the harmless ' Daddy Long Legs ' {Tipula) and the gnats 

 and mosquitoes {C'ldex, Simiiliam, etc.) which are as troublesome in Xt)rway or 

 Canada, as in the tropics, each zone of tlic earth seeming to be abundantly provided 

 with its own appropriate pests. Of mosquitoes, Dr. Mason writes: "We have at 

 least two species, one of which is banded with white stripes, and is more voracious 

 tlian the other ; as soon as it begins to taste blood, the hand may be brought slowly 

 upon it, and it chooses death rather than flight. 



" The larvK) of gnats and mosquitoes may be always seen in water that has 

 stood for a few days, where they are readily discovered by their active motions, often 

 diving and rising again to the surface. To avoid taking these insects in drinking, 

 and thus destroying animal life, the Burmese priests strain their water, like the 

 Pharisees of old, and it was these gnats in the ku"val state to which the Saviour 

 refeiTcd, and not the gnat, properly so called, as tlu; word is often rendered." 



People who keep orchid houses are much troubled by the quantities of 

 mosquitoes which breed in the pans of water placed to maintain by their eva])ora- 

 tion the humidity of the atmosphere. This annoyance may be cured by placing a 



