76 



THE MOSQUITO AND ITS FRIENDS. 



seizes by means of the long extensible front part of the body. 

 The adult fly (Fig. 7G) is gayly spotted and banded with yellow, 

 resembling closely a wasp. It frequents flowers. 



The singular rat-tailed pupa-case of Eristalis (Fig. 77) lives 

 in watei-, and when in want of air, protrudes its long respiratory 

 tube out into the air. We present the figure of an allied fly, 

 Merodon Bardus (Fig. 78; a, puparium, natui-al size). We will 



li. Jlierodon. 



'5. Syrphus Larva. 



7G. Syrphus Fly. 



not describe at length the fly, as the admirable drawings of Mr. 

 Eraerton cannot fail to render it easily recognizable. The larva 

 is much like the puparium or pupa case, here figured, which 

 closely resembfes that of Eristalis, in possessing a long respira- 

 tory filament, showing that the maggot undoubtedly lives in the 



77. Larva of Eat-tailed Fly. 



78. Rat-tailed Fly and its Pupa. 



water, and when desirous of breathing, protrudes the tube out 

 of the water, thus drawing in air enough to fill its internal res- 

 piratory tubes (trachete). The Merodon Narcissa probably lives 

 in the soil, or in rotten wood, as the pupa-case has no respira- 

 tory tube, having instead a very short, sessile, truncated tube, 

 scarcely as long as it is thick. The case itself is cylindrical, and 

 rounded alike at each end. 



