48 



THE INSECT WORLD. 



these Diptera having short antenn.-are ^^j^^^ ^^^ 

 In this subdivision the sucker is composed of six bi sties ArnonpSC 

 oAe MLit inchides that of the labanid.e;^V^ insects belong mg 

 to wb cTfamily are of remarkable strength, and possessed of daiing 

 and coura"^ in the highest degree. Their wings are provided 

 tl powerful muscles, their feet are very ^t™"?. .f "f *^"^^f "^ 

 r provided with six flat, sharp lancets. Distributed over the 

 enthe world their instinct is everywhere the same, it is the desire 

 for blood, a least in the females; for the males are not so ™r- 

 Uke they do no harm, but live on the juices of flowers. They 

 are chiefly found in woods and pastures, and during the hottest 

 part of the day in summer may be seen flymg about seeking for 



^'"m 7e Saint-Fargeau has described the manner in which the 



males fly. T^iey may be seen fl) ing hither and thither in the glades 



of woods, remaining for some time suspended in the air, then dar ing 



au ckly and suddenly away a yard or two, again taking up the same 



nmtvabie position,'and'in each of these -o^^ments turning the 



head to the opposite way from that m which they are going. This 



auira&til certain that on these occasions they are watching for the 



femdes, w^ich they dart upon. When they have succeeded m doing 



so they rise so high as to be out of sight. 



' To this group belongs the genus Tabamis. 



The first species we shall mention, Tabanus mitumnahs (Fig. 33), 



a common species, is eight or nine lines in length, and of blackish 



CO our The^palpi the face, and the forehead are grey ; the antennae 



bhS the thorax grev, striped with brown; the abdomen spotted 



wkh ydlot; the legl of 'a yelLvish white; and the outer edge of the 



'""SnoAr'species (Tabanus bovinus) is twelve lines in length and ^ 

 of a blackish brown. The palpi, the face, and the forehead are' 

 yeirow7the antenna black, with a whitish base ; the thorax, coj ed 

 fvlh ydlow hair, is striped with ^ack ; the postermr edge o^^ 

 segments of the abdomen pale yellow; the egs 7'="°* ' ^J !"* *; 

 extremities black, and the exterior edge of the wings yellow. This 

 soecies is frequently met with in woods. , . , , 1 ,„„ (■„ 



'a third species, Chrysops cacutims (Fig. 34), ^vhich belongs to 

 the same family, a^d of which the generic name (^"'yf^P^/^^^i 

 loWeneyed, torments horses and cattle very much by bitmg them 

 ?ound the e^es. Its thorax is of a yellowish colour, striped or spotted I: 

 with black ; the abdomen yellow, and the eyes golden. ; 



In the next group of the Brachycera the sucker is composed of i^ 



