FLTES. 229 



ill different genera ; eyes contiguous in both sexes, occupying a 

 great part of the liead ; two or three ocelli also are generally pre- 

 sent ; abdomen large, convex ; legs rather thick, and without 

 spines ; metamorphoses unknown. 



Little more need be said of the present family. Schiner speaks 

 of the species as resting lazily on dry branches of trees, or flying 

 around some particular point, but as usually rare. They are best 

 recognised by the very small head. 



Family XXVII. — Empidce. 



Head round, rather small; antennae with the two first joints 

 very small, hardly distinct, the third not annulated, but generally 

 with a terminal tuft ; eyes generally contiguous in the male, and 

 separated in the female ; ocelli present ; legs of various structure. 

 Flies rapacious ; larvae living in mould. 



The Empidce are not unlike the Asilidce in their carnivorous 

 propensities, but the species are to be met with among bushes and 

 resting on flowers, and, being much smaller, they are forced 

 to content themselves with smaller insects than the Asilidce will 

 sometimes attack. Several genera are found near water. As in 

 most Diptera, the females are much more bloodthirsty than the 

 males, and Macquart, writing of Empis Livida, Linn., a common 

 yellowish species about one-third of an inch in length, observes : 

 "Among the thousands of pairs which I have noticed resting on 

 bushes or hedges, nearly all the females were engaged in sucking 

 some insect, sometimes small Phrijc/anidce or Eplwmeridce, but more 

 often Tipulidce. They busy themselves with feeding and perpetu- 

 ating their species at the same time." 



Family XXVIII. — Dolichopodidce. 



Head semicircular, about as broad as the thorax; antennae 

 close together, sometimes almost jammed between the eyes in the 

 male, which are approximate, but rarely contiguous ; antennae 

 with the third joint not angulated, with a bristle at the tip or 

 above ; abdomen laterally compressed, and cylindrical, or elliptical 

 and flattened ; legs slender, bristly ; hind legs long ; larvae in damp 

 earth ; flies often predaceous. 



The Dolichopodidce are small flies, often of brilliant colours, 

 metallic green being the prevailing tint. Many of them frequent 

 the neighbourhood of water, and are often found resting on water- 

 phi.nts, while others prefer fields and woods ; the majority are 



