isin.j 225 



prove, no doubt, interesting to Diptcrisls. The first eaptinv wns mndc by my friend 

 Mr. F. C. Lemann, on the 16th June; after being identitied bj' Mr. Coryndon 

 Matthews, finding that Mr. Yerrall had placed it in liia list in italics, as much as to 

 say it was a doubtful British species, it gave me a greater desire to capture others ; 

 consequently, my friend Lemann and I journeyed to the locality at Ivybridge on the 

 21st, and were rewarded with three additional specimens, two of them falling to my 

 net : it was a glorious sunny day, we observed that they took very short flights a 

 few inches above the ground, and again settled on the grass, the three captures 

 taking just as many hours, therefore, they may be called scarce, and the locality 

 local, not covering more than twenty square yards. 



The National Collection, I believe, did not possess a British specimen until I 

 presented one of the above-mentioned captures. 



According to Schiner (Fauna Austriaca Diptera) the life-history appears to have 

 been worked out, for he says : — " The metamorphosis of the different species is 

 known ; the larva? resemble small slugs, and would at first be taken for such ; they 

 are flat and fleshy on the under-side, the back is arched and appears moistened ; 

 they have been found in the nests of Formica fusca, and under the bark of a species 

 of willow. The imagos are found in wet places, where they sit on the under-sides 

 of leaves, and in the grass, and may often be taken in great numbers by sweeping — 

 they make a humming noise during flight, and have little resemblance to the other 

 genera of S^rphidcB." 



The humming noise produced during flight can also be produced when not in 

 motion ; on removing the lid of the box on the following morning to make a closer 

 inspection of the first capture, I was rather surprised to find it was able to make s 

 humming noise when annoyed, a beautiful undulating sound ; it was some time 

 before I could discover how it was produced, seeing the fly apparently did not move ; 

 at last with a powerful lens I discovered that it was by its poisers vibrating, and I 

 believe coming in contact with some short bristly hairs situated on the abdomen, and 

 pointing towards the thorax ; the undulations were caused by the rapidity with 

 which the poisers were moved. — Gr. C. Bignell, Stonehouse, Plymouth : Julj/ \st, 

 1891. 



Ilypoderma bovis, Dei,. — This species, which was identified by Mr. C. Matthews, 

 was captured on the 9th June, on the moor between Yelverton and Clearbrook ; the 

 hairy body in three colours, white, black, and red, giving it a very bee-like appearance. 



This is a sub-cutaneous parasite on cattle, and very seldom taken in the imago 

 state. — Id. 



180 parasites in one larva of yirctia Caja. — I was passing by a field on the 20th 

 of last month (June), when 1 saw crossing the pavement in front of me a larva of 

 Aretia Caja ; I immediately boxed it (as I capture all 1 come across, in the hope of 

 bi'eeding varieties) ; I left the larva in the same box for about six hours, when, 

 looking at it again, I saw it almost covered with maggots. I left these, along with 

 the Caja larva, for three or four days, in which time they spun up and emerged ; 

 they proved to be Apanteles Caja. I afterwards counted the cocoons, and found 

 there were no less than 180. Is not this an unusual number? — A. E. B. WoOD, 

 Garfield Lodge, Stoke, Devonport : July 2nd, 1891. 



