DIPTERA. 107 



ascend to the surface. The Sargiis cuprarius (Plate IV., 

 Fig. 14) is an insect of elegant shape and brilliant 

 colouring ; like the Soldier-flies, it inhabits flowers, 

 bushes, etc., and is very fond of honey-dew ; the body 

 is bright green tinged with copper, the abdomen brassy 

 green or bluish purple. 



The Tahanidce frequent woods in the summer; the best 

 known species being the T. hovinus and T. autumnalis 

 (Fig. 10) ; they are most frequent in hot summer wea- 

 ther ; the males are harmless and frequent flowers, but 

 the females pierce the skin of quadrupeds and feed on 

 their blood ; the long footless larva lives in the earth 

 and feeds on decomposing matter. Tahanus hovinus 

 must not be confused with another Brachyceral-fly, viz., 

 the Oestrus bovis, the female of which pierces the hides 

 of cattle with her ovipositor, and lays therein her eggs. 

 Tahanus hovinus passes through its metamorphosis 

 under ground and not within the hides of cattle. It is, 

 perhaps, the largest of the Dipterous insects, being 

 nearly an inch long, and broad in proportion ; the body 

 is dark brown, thorax with several grey stripes, the ab- 

 domen has a row of whitish triangular spots. From the 

 buzzing noise these flies make the)^ have been called 

 Breeze-flies. Sometimes they will attack men. Mr. Wood 

 was once fiercely attacked by these Breeze-flies while 

 rambling in the New Forset ; their favourite point of 

 attack was just behind the ear, into which they buried 

 their sharp lancets, which pricked like sharp needles. 

 On returning to his lodgings, after a few hours in the 

 forest, he found the whole space behind his ears filled 

 with clotted blood, his collar glued to his neck, and 

 long tracks of blood running down his body and arms. 



