DIPTERA OF MINNESOTA. 



83 



in America, including the largest representatives of the Diptera, some 

 of them being nearly two inches long. Most of these flies live in Cen- 

 tral and South America, where it is said they are found in forests, 

 on trunks of trees. But little is known of their habits. 



As might be expected, we have not met with any representatives 

 of this famil)' in Minnesota. 



LEPTIDAE, 



Snipe-Flies. 



The name "Snipe-Flies" is given to this family on account of the 

 somewhat long legs, tapering abdomen, and occasionally a long pro- 

 boscis or "beak" pointing downward, suggesting a fanciful resem- 



Fig. 74. Chrysophila thoracica. Lugger. 



blance to the birds of this name. They do not all, however, have 

 these somewhat superficial characters. Some of these flies are quite 

 large, Coenomyia ferruginca, for instance, Fig. 2, Colored Plate II, 

 is from three-quarters of an inch to one and one-half inches in length ; 

 Chrysopila thoracica, a strikingly handsome fly, shown in color Fig. 



