1910.] 14,3 



INSECTIVOROUS INSECTS. 

 BY CliAUDE MORLBY, F.Z.S., F.E.S. 



Fourteen years ago I j^ublislied some notes on this siil>ject ; and 

 since tlieu Prof. Poulton has done something to popularize its study. 

 The following observations are no more than casual, and I have others, 

 for the moment mislaid, of an equally scrappy nature. They are 

 drops in the ocean of a wide subject, each one of which, no matter 

 how small, will go to build up a vast edifice ; but the recording should 

 be close, and misnomers strenuously avoided. For the names here 

 employed I am indebted to Mr. E. E. Austen and his Attendant at the 

 British Museum ; and, for the prey of Mellinus, to Rev. E. N. Bloom- 

 field. Unless stated, the species were taken in the garden of Monk 

 Soham House, Suffolk. 

 6.9.1907. — Csenosia pedclla, Fha., $ , preying iipoii Sciara sp., 9 j while sitting" on 



a post in the salt marshes of the Buss Creek at SoutliAvold. 

 23.5.1908. — Empis trigramma, Mg., upon being frightened, dropped a J of 



Tachydromia agilis, Mg. 

 2-1.5.1908. — Three pairs of Empis pennaria, Fin., sitting in cop. on lime leaves, 



each ? with a very small J Chironomus. 

 24.5.1908. — Empis trigrammM, Mg., ? , with ^ Sciara sp., sitting on floAver of 



ChsBrophyllum, upon which the latter had probably been feeding, as also 



often do the former. 

 24.5.1908. — Tachydromia cursitans. Fab., on lime leaf, devouring a Psychodid. 

 24.5.1908. — Scatophaga stercoraria, L., ^ , sucking Corethra sp., J , fi.t 7 p.m. 

 29.5.1908. — Two Tachydromia minuta, Mg., <? $ ; ? preying upon I'hora sp., <? 



preying on Sciara sp. 

 30.5.1908. — Tachydromia agilis, Mg., $ , preying on Chironomus ? hrevitibialis, 



Zett. 

 2.6.1908. — Scatophaga maculi2}cs, Zett., ^, sucking Hydrotxa irritans, Vhi., on 



window. 

 5.6.1908. — Gerris gibbifcra, Shm., on moat surroimding house, holding with its 



front or anterior legs and svicking Tcnthrcdo- balteatus, Klug, J, while 



skimming the siu-face. 

 4.8.1908. — Two Cricotopus tricinctus, Mg., ^ S, in spider's web on gate, nniti- 



lated and apparently dead ; one Microphoriis velutinus, Mcq., '^ , Avas flying 



round them and presently distinctly svicked one in the web. 

 7.9.1908. — Tachydromia cursitans, F., ? , sucking a tiny Phorid, among Ai^his 



crataegi, Kalt., on whitethorn, to whose honeydew the latter had probably 



been attracted. 

 5.6.1909. — Scatophaga squalida, Mg., i , sucking Homalomyia canicidaris, Linn., 



(J ; the former had pierced its proboscis" through the base of the latter's 



head, on the right side, and it was holding its j)rey with the front legs only, 



while standing on the posterior, upon the window-sash. 

 27.8.1909. — Caricea tigrina preying upon Bilophus febrilis, Linn., ?, on Angelica 



sylvestris flower at Kenton, Suffolk. 



M 2 



