Séance du 21 Avril 1920 23 



mental stages of Teliìialoscopus nicridioiìdlis, l-]at()ii, a 

 eoiiiinon Egyptian speeies, the opportunity was taken 

 ol' studying tlie lil'c-eyeie of this indixitlua! in detail. 



The immature stages of the species in ((uestion 

 were first observed in very h\rge nuinJ)ers, living to- 

 gether with other dipterous larvae in a water-tank used 

 for macerating bones, at the School of Medicine, 

 Kasr-el-Aïny. The lank in {[uestion contained tloating 

 pieces of bones covered with decaying meal & the 

 Psychodid larvae occurred on the surface of the water. 

 From the lattei' adults were obtained and idenlilied 

 as TeliiKtloscopiis lììoridionalis, Eaton. 



Later, very large numbers ol" the larvae and [)upae 

 were found in a small covered well containing drainage 

 water ; the larvae were feeding upon decaying vege- 

 table matter, such as leaves, twigs etc. floating in tlie 

 water. Swarms of the adult Hies were found on the 

 walls of the well. Sonic of these flies were collected 

 cV; brought to th(? laboratory in order to follow their 

 life-cycle. 



Vor this purpose j)airs of flies were placed in 

 wide-moulhed glass bottles conlaning a few decaying 

 leaves in a little water, the mouth of the l)üttle being 

 c(>^e^e(l with muslin, liy these uicans it was possible 

 to ol)serve tlie co|)ulalion ct oI)lain the progeny of a 

 single female. 



The j)rocess of copulation in this sjx'cies is iden- 

 tical with Ihal of Psijchodd sexpiinctdUi, studied by 

 Mr Dell ( 1905), and may l)e descrii)ed in his own 

 words r « In copulation the male runs alongside the 

 female, stroking her witli his antennae wliile the 

 wings, antennae & hallercs arc thrown into spasmodic 



