170 INSECTS 



the bites and by the circHng of the flies seeking a place 

 to alight, and high-bred cattle fall off seriously in fly- 

 infested pastures. 



I have referred to districts in connection with these 

 flies and not unintentionally, because they are by no 

 means generally distributed. Each species has its 

 favorite haunt and cannot be found outside of it; so, 

 in driving, one may enter a fly district and get out of it 

 again in a few minutes. Or, after being bothered for 

 a few minutes by a large black fly, it may be noticed 

 that a large brown or striped one has taken its place. 



The "green-heads" are usually found along the 

 sea-shore and their name is due to the bright green eyes 

 which cover so much of the head that nothing else is 

 ordinarily noticed. The rest of the body is generally 

 of some light or yellowish shade that is inconspicuous in 

 the surroundings in which they occur. 



The "golden-eyes," "deer-" or "breeze-" flies are 

 usually inhabitants of damp woods and their names 

 are derived partly from the golden brown mottled eyes, 

 partly from their supposed habit and partly from their 

 manner of attack. These are, as a rule, smaller flies 

 and many of them have the wings barred or mottled 

 with brown or black. The golden markings of the eyes 

 are quite conspicuous, and it has been interestingly 

 demonstrated that this is due to a distinct pattern for 

 each species and that in life many forms are identifiable 

 by this character alone. 



The Tabanid larvae so far as we know them, live in 

 mud or at least in moist earth along the banks of streams 

 or almost in water itself; and they feed on the minute 

 forms of life inhabiting such places. Some occur on 

 salt marshes, some in low meadows and some in the 

 damp leaf mould in low woods, and this, in a measure, 

 accounts for the local distribution of the adults: they 



