222 [March, 



DIPTERA IN AEKAN. 

 BT G. H. VEKRALL. 



A fortnight in June spent in the Island of Arran gave me an 

 opportunity of collecting a number of Diptern, a list of which may be 

 of interest for geographical distribution. The climate of the Island 

 is wonderfully mild, owing to its receiving the full brunt of the Gulf 

 Stream, hence not so many northern forms occurred even on the 

 mountains, as the high latitude induced me to expect. The Flora 

 especially seemed more like that of the south-west of England, as 

 fuchsias nine or ten feet high with stems quite four inches thick, and 

 rhododendrons by many thousands, grew in the woods about Brodick 

 Castle ; delicate shrubs flourished in gardens when protected from 

 deer, and laburnums, Iris pseiidacorus, and a potato-field in the south 

 of the Island close to the edge of the sea show the comparative 

 harmlessness of the storms. The day I ascended Groatfell, the highest 

 point on the Island (28G6 feet), there was scarcely a breath of wind 

 even on the summit, and the sea between Arran and Cantire was like 

 glass, while the steamer coming from Grlasgow left behind it the ripple 

 of the paddlewheels visible on the calm water for four or five miles, 

 Diptera buzzed on the rocks about the summit, and Coleoptera ran 

 about between the stones. 



My chief attention was given to the AntJwmyiidce, and I succeeded 

 in getting good series of several species whichfl had met with before 

 only at Eannoch or Bi'aemar, some of which though common in 

 Scotland, have never yet been recorded as British. Those species 

 which I have clearly identified I will leave at present in the generic 

 divisions adopted by Dr. Meade in his paper now appearing in this 

 Magazine. 



Altogether I took between 1200 and 1300 specimens of Diptera, 

 belonging to leather more than 200 species ; I shall not attempt to 

 describe any new species here, as I consider any I may have found 

 should only be treated more monographically, and any I may be in 

 doubt about I have preferred not to enumerate at present. 



I made Brodick (where there is a first class hotel) my head quarters, 

 but I made excursions to Lagg, Loch Ranza, Glen Sannox, Lamlash, 

 Corrie, Blackwater Foot, &c., hence I explored most of the 'Island, 

 and the species I have identified are as follows : — 



Nemotelus iiotatus Hiematopota pluvialis Clirysopila aurata, F. 



Microchi-ysa polita . . ,., /(oiosericea, Wlk. 



a ■ ■ ci'assicoi'Uis (1) T ... 



naviconus Isopogon brevirostris 



Beris vallata Leptis scolopacea Hybos sp. 



clialybcata notata Cyrtoma 2 sp. 



