96 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF QUEENSLAND. 



and it is under such name that the latter author has figured 

 it and -vxTitten of it in his various papers excepting in a recent 

 article (1921) where he calls it Eumusca australis, though it 

 has been shown that the latter specific name belongs to a 

 quite distinct fly (Johnston and Bancroft 1920a, 1920c). It 

 has also been referred to as Eumusca vetustissima, as it falls 

 A^thin Townsend's genus if the latter is recognised as valid 

 (Johnston and Bancroft 1920c, Johnston 1921b). 



Bezzi determined it for G. F. Hill as Musca humilis Wied., 

 an Indian fly, and it is under this name that Hill mentioned 

 it recently (1921). Dr. Patton, in a letter to the senior author 

 dated August 1921, stated that Walker's species was a synonym 

 of Wiedemann's, but in a letter a few months later (Dec. 

 1921) he said that M. vetustissima Avas certainly not M. humilis, 

 but was Macquart's M. j^umila. Our bush fly is certainly 

 very much like the figure of M. humilis given by Patton in 

 Indian Journal of Medical Research, 7, (4) , plate 68^ (For further 

 references to M. humilis set Patton, I.e. 8(1), 1920, pp. 1-16 ; 

 Rev. Appl. Ent. B. 9 (6), p. 102.) In view of the above 

 contradictory statements we prefer to retain Walker's name 

 until some authoritative pronouncement shall have been made. 



The biology of the fly under the chmatic conditions 

 occurring in Brisbane and in Eidsvold (Upper Burnett River 

 district) has been made known by Johnston and Bancroft. 

 The time passed in the egg stage and in the various instars 

 and pupa has been ascertained, the egg and larval stages 

 usually requiring 4 to 5 days and the pupal about 6 in summer, 

 whereas in spring and mnter the latter may need 7 to 9 days. 

 The total period from egg to imago was found to be from 10 to 

 14 days in Eidsvold during November when the weather was 

 rather dry. (Johnston and Bancroft 1920a ; 1920c, pp. 35, 41 ; 

 Johnston 1921b.) 



Other observations during October, November, and 

 December confirm the above results, the egg hatching out in 

 less than 24 hours ; the combined egg-plus-larval period 

 being from 4 to 6 days, generally 5 ; the pupal period 6 to 10, 

 usually 6 or 7 days ; the total period from egg deposition to 

 emergence being 11 to 13 days. No doubt all stages would 



2 The life history and breeding habits of M. detertninaia and. 

 M. humilis are described in the paper, pages 754-5, 757-8. 



