COLLECTING DiriERA. 245 



They are found in woods, the larva inhabithig fungi, and (of one 

 species at least) resembles a seed. Not common. 



PiPUNCULiD.E : about 10 species are British. — Inliabiting 

 woods and fields, some species hovering in the air. Not connnon. 



Cecidomyid.e : about 100 species. — Walker has introduced a 

 large number of species; whether the}' are really British or not 

 remains to be seen. ^Vinnertz is the authority j)ar excellence on 

 this group. The larvae live in plants ; the Hies are delicate, small, 

 and closely allied ; occurring in fields, gardens, and orchards. 



PsYCiiODiM2 : 7 or 8 species. — These resemble small moths, 

 the wings being fringed. Very small flies. Two species are 

 found in houses. Larva aquatic. One or two species appear in 

 midwinter. 



CuLiciDiE : about 12 species. — Larva aquatic. Delicate flies 

 (gnats), with a complicated and powerful proboscis. Some of the 

 older authors have published the life-histories of several species. 

 Common on summer evenings, swarming under tree-boughs. 

 The numerous veins in, and fringe to, the wings separate this 

 family easily from the next. 



CiiiEONuMiD.^s : about 270 species. — A most difficult group to 

 work out. All the species are small and very delicate, their habits 

 being very similar to those of tlie Culicidse. Walker describes 

 the larva of two common species. Many species are abundant at 

 sunset, and ma}' be taken from spring to the end of autumn. 



B1BIUKID.E : about 20 species. — These flies are chiefly vernal, 

 often appearing for a few days only. The males hover in the air. 

 Larvae worm-like, living in the earth. A correspondent recently 

 sent me a very common species, Diloplius vulgaris, bred from 

 Calceolaria. The species are tolerably distinct. 



SiMULiiDiE : about 5 species. — Larva aquatic. Some species 

 inhabit sandy spots. Not very common. 



Mycetophilid.e : about 170 species. — The larvae feed on 

 fungi, and frequently spin silken webs. The Hies chiefly inhabit 

 woods, some species occurring in the middle of winter. They are 

 rather small, of delicate structure, and are tolerably connnon. 



TiPULiDiE : about 17 species.' — The larva lives in decaying 

 vegetables, in fungi or rotten wood, some being aipiatic. The 

 flies (daddy-longlegs) are delicate in structure, flying in swarms 

 under trees overhanging streams, especially in the evenings; on 

 marshy banks, and in grassy fields; one or two species doing 



