100 [October, 



glutinous web, which also appears to envelope its body, large quantities 

 o£ sticky mucus being periodically shot out of the mouth and formed 

 into threads as required, but I have never seen anything like a Jiet 

 extended in front of the insect, neither have I found flies or gnats 

 detained in the webs, although I have examined a large number. At 

 the back of this irregular chamber the larva constructs a small hole, 

 into which it retreats with great rapidity when alarmed. With regard 

 to its food, I am unable to speak with absolute certainty at present, but 

 have little doubt that it consists of decaying vegetable matter. One in- 

 dividual I kept alive for eight weeks was enclosed in a small jar of mud 

 taken from its native bank and placed in a caterpillar-cage where no 

 flies or other small insects could possibly be obtained ; as, however, 

 there were some small earthworms in the mud it might have subsisted 

 on these ; although I examine! the insect nearly every night and 

 morning, I never saw it eat anything. 



The light is not shown by any means regularly. On several 

 occasions there was no light all the evening, and then a brilliant display 

 at four or five o'clock in the morning, but I have not noticed any 

 peculiar meteorological conditions to influence this. I do do not think 

 Mr. Meyrick's explanation of its use can be entertained, as I am sure 

 every one who has attracted insects at night will know how inadequate 

 such a minute point of light would be to fetch them from any distance. 

 If I might be allowed to suggest a use, I think it may often assist the 

 larvse in escaping from enemies, as when disturbed they nearly always 

 gleam very brilliantly for a few seconds afterwards, suddenly shutting 

 off the light and retreating into the earth. Of the pupa-state I am 

 quite ignorant, as I have only reared a single specimen, which I unfor- 

 tunately did not observe while in that condition ; but, with respect to 

 the imago, I may say with the fullest confidence that it has no manner 

 of relationship to the StapJiylinidw or indeed to any other Coleopterous 

 family, being, in fact, a small " gnat," appai-ently one of the Tipiilidce, 

 and, as it is perhaps undescribed, I forward the specimen for 

 examination by a systematic Dipterist. Why it has been regarded as 

 Coleopterous I cannot understand, as it does not materially differ from 

 numerous other Tipulidous larvse abounding in rotton wood, etc., 

 throughout the country. 



Ghuznee Street, Wellington, N.Z. : 

 July \Za, 1886. 



[Mr. Hudson is corx-ect as to the systematic position of the insect 

 he has forwarded. We submitted it to Baron Osten-Sacken, who 



