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body of one of the Aphids, and so gently inserted (ftfter tlie manner in which Isaac 

 Walton advises a hook to be passed into a worm), that there was no resistance by 

 tlie Tictim. If this was the beginning of a feast there was an abundant supply of 

 the delicacy to continue the revel, which, in the nature of things, could not last 

 long.— J. W. Douglas, 153, Lcwisham Eoad, S.E. : July 31«<, 1895. 



P.S., August 1st. — To-day I witnessed the assault by a Capsus laniarius on one 

 of the aforesaid Aphids, which, however, did not take it quietly, but at flrst resisted 

 vehemently but ineffectually the rapidly exhausting effect of the insertion of the 

 rostral lancet into its body. There were three others of the Capsus on the leaves of 

 the plant, resting supine presumably after an Aphidian banquet. — J. W. D. 



Immense swarms of Culices. — On every evening of the last ten days this road has 

 been invaded by vast hordes of large Culices, the air thick with millions of them, 

 at times charging in close column up the road, like a squadron of cavalry, at other 

 times engaged in dancing up and down, after the manner of their race. This kind 

 of exhibition takes place during the summer months, at intervals of a few weeks, 

 but the number of performers varies greatly, last year, for instance, there were very 

 few. They are a source of great amusement to the prqfanum vulgus during the 

 hour before dark, during which period only they are active ; the boys throwing their 

 caps among the host, the adults cutting at them with sticks and whips. These gnats 

 do not enter the house, even if the windows remain open, but a few of each sex now 

 and then settle for a moment on the window, holding on by their four fore-feet only, 

 the hindmost pair being elevated. Viewed thus "through a glass darkly," they 

 cannot be described properly ; I could only note that the colour is yellowish with 

 brown stripes on the thorax, that the males have large plumose antennce, that the 

 abdomen is pale, banded with brown, and is much longer than the pale wings ; in 

 the female the antcnnte are shorter with simple cilia, and the body scarcely longer 

 than the wings ; the legs in both sexes pale. The size and colour of the insects, as 

 well as their habit of keeping always out of houses, distinguish them from the 

 common and too-well known gnat, C. ciliaris. 



Opposite to this house are several tall trees, and round the top of the highest 

 one only, at the same hour of the evening that the periodical saltatory performances 

 arc going on in the road, enormous swarms of gnats congregate. At first they 

 appear as a small black cloud curling about the ends of the branches, and soon, 

 when the air is calm, rising in a close column, like smoke from a chimney, for a 

 distance of some 20 or 30 feet, the bulk gradually becoming more grey and attenuated 

 until lost to sight in the upward progress. When a breeze is moving, the insects, 

 always preserving close order, are blown out laterally, and after skirmishing with 

 the wind return to their cover among the top leaves of the tree. It is a wonderful 

 sight. I apprehend the species is not the same as that of the acrobats in the road, 

 but as, in the nature of things, I could get no- specimens, I can only guess that it 

 may be the C. detritus of llaliday, first described by him in the "Entomological 

 Magazine," i, 151 (1833), to which my attention has been directed by Mr. R. H. Meade. 

 Mr llaliday {l. c.) wrote of the species as occurring about Holy wood, Downsliire, 

 " In multitudes during the day among hedges on the sea-coast : in the evening in 

 coluunis about the tops of trees, appearing like smoke at the distance of a furlong." 



I think it is most probable that the birthplace of our swarms is the adjacent 



