41 



1909.] 157 



FURTHER OBSERVATIONS ON THE EMPINM. 



BY A. H. HAMM. 



Reprinted from "The Entomologist's Monthly Magazine" 2nd Series, Tol. xx. 



Empis opaca, F. — Since writing the account of this species in the 

 June number of this Magazine (p. 132), 1 have been making further 

 observations with a view to test the suggestion then made that the 

 prey provided by the male is a physiological necessity. In a number 

 of instances, the male having been seen to pair and settle down with 

 the female in possession of the prey, a record was made of the time 

 during which copulation lasted. The period was found to vary from 

 a minimum of two-and-a-half to a maximum of five-and-a-half minutes, 

 the average being about four minutes. The duration probably varied 

 with the size of the victim, which was in my experience exclusively 

 Dipterous. The male, after uncoupling, flew away, and the female 



