194 HORSE AND CATTLE FLIES. 
who was good enough to verify my identifications, and in the above 
list I give the names of the kinds sent which are most easily recognized 
without great research. Iam also greatly indebted to Prof. J. Mik, of 
Vienna, for being good enough to present me with a small type col- 
lection of Tabanide, a truly invaluable help from such a skilled donor. 
The family of the Tabanide, commonly known as Gad Flies, 
Horse Flies, Breeze Flies, &c., are strong and mostly broad-made flies, 
varying in size in this country from about or little more than a quarter 
of an inch, to an inch or more in length, and from three-quarters of an 
inch to one or two inches in spread of the wings. 
They are especially distinguishable by the formation of the mouth 
parts: the proboscis is short, and projects horizontally, and in the 
female encloses six, and in the male four, somewhat lancet-like instru- 
ments. It is terminated by two fleshy lip-like lobes, and is guarded 
at the sides by the maxillary palpi, which are large and two-jointed. 
The females only are blood-suckers; in the males the mouth parts are 
less adapted for piercing, and they live on the sweet matter in flowers, 
or on ‘‘ sweet sap.” 
The compound eyes are very large, and often, especially in the 
males, nearly cover the head, and are frequently gaily patterned (whilst 
living) with spots or stripes of bright colours. The third joint of the 
antenne is large, and often with such a decided notch as to give a 
tooth-like projection (see figure, p. 123). The simple eyes (ocelli) are 
said to be usually absent, or almost obsolete, though sometimes, as in 
Chrysops, three are present (vide Schiner). 
The thorax is compact and thick, with hinder portion (scutellum) 
much developed. The wings rather deflexed, or laid flat, and with 
many veins ; when at rest usually not laid over each other, but about 
a quarter or half open, or extended horizontally. The ‘alulets,” or 
winglets (an enlargement of the membrane at the lower part of the 
hinder edge of the wing), large. The abdomen seven-ringed. ‘The 
legs stout. 
The figure of the Great Ox Gad I'ly at p. 128 gives a fair idea of 
the above details so far as they can be shown without being much 
magnified. 
The grubs (larva) do not live in or on the hides of horses or other 
animals, but those of the genus Vabanus (Schiner), which includes 
many kinds, live in damp earth or sand, or under decaying leaves and 
stems in damp places, and the grub of 7’. tropicus has been found to 
feed under ground in damp woods, from whence the flies greatly 
torment the horses in neighbouring meadows.* The grubs of the 
* See ‘Exposition of English Insects,’ by Moses Harris, p. 28, mpccLxxxm. An 
old work in which there are short but very careful descriptions of many of our 
English horse and cattle flies, accompanied by coloured figures. 
