366 INSECTS. 



peculiar provision, of which the evident purpose is the* 

 saving of time in the removal of dead matter. 

 Reaumur calculated the number of young produced by 

 one Fly of this species to be about 20,000. 



From these we turn to the so-called Flower-flies, or 

 Anthomyia, the larvae of which live chiefly on decaying 

 animal or vegetable matter, in roots, as onions, radishes, 

 &c. The perfect insects are found on flowers. 



They are generally dull-coloured, hairy Flies, of 

 various shapes, some being short and thickset, and 

 others of a more slender form. Some have the abdomen 

 spotted or chequered, others are black with grey or 

 greyish-white hairs, tawny, or pale dull red, and some- 

 times aeneus. This genus contains a large number of 

 species, of which one, Anthomyia betes, mines the 

 leaves of mangold wurtzel, occasioning great loss to the 

 farmers. 



All the Muscidae hitherto mentioned belong to the 

 first division of the family, and have large alulae. 



The second division, Acalypterte, contains Flies in 

 which the alulae are wanting, and which are generally 

 smaller and of lighter make than the large Muscae, &c., 

 lately described. 



The clean, bright, active Scatophaga, or yellow Dung- 

 fly, is one of these. This pretty little Fly is familiar to 

 every stroller in the country, and is no less frequently 

 met with basking singly in the sunshine in the flower- 

 cups than clustering with many others on the unclean 

 mass whence the approaching footstep drives it with a 

 mighty buzz and bustle. 



The egg of the Scatophaga is a beautiful and curious 

 object. It is a long curved egg (about half an inch in 

 length), convex in front and nearly straight behind, 



