46 tJuiy, 



of the ibliage of the oak-bushes, a few of the " duuimy " tlies turned up, all in life-like 

 attitudes. I tried hard to find specimens on other trees or low plants, but failed in 

 obtaining any. Skirting the upper-side of the pit, I found the dead flies in greater 

 luuubers, till at last I encountered the " gros de rarmee " on the spot where I 

 had started from, in a place which it appeared to me the.se Diptera coidd not well 

 have reached in such nixmbers, owing to the density of the surrounding bushes, 

 except by crossing the pit on the wing. Here their life-like remains were seen by 

 hundreds. Turning my back upon this upper end of the pit, I worked my way 

 through the dense undergrowth towards the fir-wood, watching the foliage as I went 

 along. But gradually the number of flies grew less, and at last, while still at a good 

 distance from the foremost row of pines, I found the bushes quite free of the bodies. 

 Clearly, therefore, the centre of the disease was near the border of the pit, a fact 

 of which I took good care to make sure by repeatedly starting off at different angles 

 from the spot where the flies were most numerous. Of live specimens I could 

 not find one, although I worked very hard for some houi's. The dead ones, 

 of which I secured a series, and wliicli have since been identified by my friend Mr. 

 Verrall, as belonging to the genus XanthocMorus (probably X. tenellus, Wied.), 

 presented a very characteristic appearance while fresh. Firmly attached by their 

 outstretched legs to the under-side of the oak leaves, with the beautifidly iridescent 

 wings spread out at right angles from the body, with porrected antennae and a fully 

 stuft'ed body and thorax, their outward appearance, in some instaiices, belied their 

 real state. But other specimens told the story only too plainly, their bodies being 

 surrounded by a silk -like, silvery halo of spores, while their thorax and abdomen 

 were closely fastened to the leaf by a felt-Uke, white fungoid mass ; a few specimens 

 were even covered with a close, white silvery shroud, rendering all parts of the body 

 indistinct, except the wings and legs. Several bodies which I examined were stuffed 

 with a white mass, undoubtedly the mycelium of the Emptisa. 



So far I have stated what are facts, and I must leave it to more competent 

 minds to read them aright ; but, taking all circumstances into consideration, I cannot 

 help thinking that the vicinity of the rain water pools in the gravel-pit must have 

 had something to do with the outbreak of this disease just on the borders of the pit : 

 but why this congregation of dead just on the upper border? had the prevailing 

 current of air anything to do with this ? One other point must not be overlooked — 

 the flies were only on the oak, but why ? ; am I to suppose that they are attached to 

 that tree exclusively ; if not, why was no other foliage or object selected to settle 

 and die upon ? These are only a few of the questions arising ovit of the observation 

 before us, and concerning which I feel tempted to ask : " Quien sabe?"- — -Albert 

 MuLLEE, South Norwood, S.E. : May, 1872. 



Extraordinary circumstance regarding a dipterous insect. — On the last day of 

 May, when I was collecting in one of our woods, I saw an extraordinary apparition 

 flying through the air. I caught it, and found it to consist of two males and one 

 female of a species of Molobriis simidtaneously connected. Has any one ever before 

 noticed a similar instance ? — C. W. Dale, Glanville's Wootton : bth June, 1872. 



[We do not at this moment remember to have seen records of this anomaly con- 

 corning tlie Dipfera, hut it liiis several times been noticed in otlicr orders. — Eds. J. 



