4 AN ACCOUNT OF BRITISH FLIES. 



Oustalet also describes a species of Stratiomys from Pontary in the 

 Miocene deposits. 



/3. — Nematocera. 



Fam. RhyphidcE. — Brodie has figured a species of this family from 

 the English Purbecks under the name of Rhiphus priscus. 



It is more abundant in the Tertiaries, and is described by Heer. 



Fam. Tipididcv. — We now come to a very abundant family, both in 

 present and past times. The Tipulidse attained great variety in the 

 Tertiary period, which contained many that are now entirely extinct. 

 The Tipulidse are recorded in the Oolite of Solenhofen by Weyen- 

 bergh, and from the Lias and Purbecks by Brodie, Westwood and 

 Murchison. I have also found a specimen in the Wealden, although 

 in a very imperfect condition. 



A great many are also recorded from that great storehouse of 

 insects of Tertiary times — viz., amber. Loew has found as many as 

 sixteen species of Tipulae in amber, one of Macrochile and four of 

 Dixa. Tipulse has also been reported from Aix, Utah, and Italy, 

 and also from Sicilian amber. 



It has also been recognised in the Eocene of the Isle of Wight and 

 the larval form at Sieblos. 



Fam. ChironomidcB. — These delicate little flies have been preserved 

 since Mesozoic times, where they seem to have been of not un- 

 common occurrence. But it is not until we get to the Tertiary 

 ambers that we find them in any abundance. They are recorded 

 from the English Purbecks and from the Lias of Dobbertin. It is 

 also probable that Rhyphus prisms, described by Brodie, and men- 

 tioned above, belongs to this family, and not to the Rhyphid^e. If so, 

 this adds another one to the list of Mesozoic forms of this family. 



Fam. CidicidcE. — Two imperfect specimens from the English 

 Purbecks are referred by Brodie to this family. One to the genus 

 Culex, namely, C. fossiHs, has the antennae and legs well preserved, 

 but the wings are entirely absent. 



Of course, the amber has preserved many genera and species, 

 especially in Aix and Utah, and in the Tertiaries of the Isle of 

 Wight. 



Fam. Bilnonidce.—'Wix'B, family is reported to occur in Mesozoic 

 strata by Geinitz, who figures a species under the name of Protomyia 

 dubia, from the Lias. Scudder, however, says this is not a Dipteron 

 at all. So we must at present only consider this family as a Tertiary 

 ane. But in Tertiary times this must have been a very abundant 



