Predaceous Insects and ther Prey. 395 
upon the termites. They did not attempt to carry 
them away, but fastened themselves on to the dorsum 
of the abdomen of each termite. There must have been 
some fifteen or twenty termites, each with its attendant 
fly. I very much regret that I did not bottle any of the 
couples alive and watch the subsequent proceedings. 
Instead of that I put them all into my poison bottle, 
Should the opportunity again occur, I shall pay closer 
attention to the actions of the fly. I think that the 
note in ‘Journ. Bombay Nat. Hist.’ (vol. xvi, No. 4, p. 
747), to which I have already referred you, is a strong 
corroboration of the supposed fact, though we do not 
know for certain that the Indian fly was the same species 
as my Ceylon insect. I am writing to ask if specimens 
can be obtained for comparison.” 
In a few days Mr. Green obtained four of the specimens 
(305-808) referred to, and forwarded them to me, with 
the following letter :—“ Peradenyia, Ceylon, Aug. 2, 1906. 
I am now able to send you some of the actual specimens 
that were the subject of the note in ‘Journ, Bomb. Nat. 
Hist. Soc.’ (vol. xvi, No. 4, p. 747). They have been 
received from the Secretary of the Society. They appear 
to be identical with or very closely allied to the flies taken 
by myself under similar circumstances, in Ceylon, These 
Indian flies are said to have been seen actually hawking 
the termites—on the wing. I think thisis another sound 
link in the chain of evidence! I remember noticing par- 
ticularly that the flies invariably attacked the abdominal 
part of the termite,—where the chitinous derm is thinner 
and softer than on the thorax.” 
The four specimens are all females of Ochromyia jejuna. 
They were captured by Capt. K. E. Nangle, 96th Berar 
Infantry, at Tarbund, Secunderabad, on July 17, 1905. 
Captain Nangle’s note in the “Journ. Bomb. Nat. Hist. 
Soe.” (vol. xvi, 1905, p. 747) is as follows :-—* Last night 
after heavy rain there was a large flight of flying ants at 
about 9.30 pm. After the swarm appeared we heard a 
loud humming noise and went out into the verandah to 
see what it was and found these flies in swarms. We at 
first thought from the noise, until we caught some, that 
it was bees swarming, although it was so late at night. 
We found these flies were hunting the flying ants, regularly 
hawking at them in the air. When a fly seized an ant 
? 
it proceeded to devour the soft hind quarters.” 
