DIPTERA. — CHIRONOMIDES. 515 
ant. of Tanypus ¢); they are much longer than the head, and com- 
posed of more than twelve joints, the basal joint being very large ; in the 
female there are fewer and simple joints (fig. 124. 11. ant. of Chirono- 
mus ?, 9. Tanypus ? ); the legs are also very long, the ocelli obsolete, 
and the palpi short; the eyes lunate and separated (fig. 124. 9. head, 
antenna, and proboscis of Tanypus @? ); the tibiz are simple, and not 
armed with spines. The nerves of the wings are very similar to those 
of the gnats; indeed, so close is the general resemblance between 
the structure and habits of the two groups, that they have been re- 
garded as belonging to the same family, and have been in common 
parlance confounded under the name of gnats. This term, however, 
ought to be applied only tothe true Culicids, and the name of midge 
assigned to those insects of the present family, which are of small size, 
and, like the gnats, often assemble in immense cloud-like swarms, and 
perform aerial dances, composed for the most part of males. The 
eggs are deposited in a mass, and not arranged as in the Culicide. 
Their larve also mostly reside in the water, and greatly resemble 
those of the Culicide. Some of them are furnished with pediform 
appendages, and in some the extremity of the body is furnished with 
tentacule ; these are generally of a red colour. 
The pupz also mostly dwell in the water, respiring by means 
of external tubes or filaments, situated in front of the body, and 
possessing the power of swimming; these pupz offer a marked dif- 
ference from those of the true incomplete pupa, their legs, from their 
great length, being partially convoluted, and forming, with the wings 
and thorax, an uniform mass, the limbs being less distinct even than in 
the obtected pupz of the Lepidoptera. De Geer (Mém. tom. vi. tab. 23. 
fig. 3—12.) has represented the transformations of a species which 
is described by Latreille as the Corethra culiciformis, the larva and 
pupa of which are almost identical in structure with those of Culex. 
I fear there must have been some error either in De Geer’s observ- 
ation or in Latreille’ssynonyme, inasmuch as Réaumur’s figures of the 
transformations of a species described as Corethra plumicornis (Mém. 
tom. v. pl. 6. fig.4—18.) totally differ from De Geer’s, the larva 
being very long and serpent-like, rather thickened in the thoracic 
segments ; the head small, conical, and turned upwards, furnished with 
two deflexed hooks articulated at the tip, and two short tentacular 
palpi; the body is terminated beneath with a beautiful fan of hairs 
(figured by Réaumur as a membranous plate). The pupa is some- 
LL @ 
