TIPUUD^E. 83 



favorable the eggs hatch in a little more than a week. 

 The larvae are ash-gray or brownish in color, more or 

 less transparent, composed of twelve segments. The 

 head is incompletely differentiated and retractile, and has 

 the maxillae and mandibles more or less horny and stout; 

 there are short fleshy antennae in most larvae, but are 

 long and two-jointed in the Tipulinae. The organs of 

 locomotion generally consist of transverse swellings on 

 the under side of the body, provided with very minute, 

 stiff bristles. The anal end of the body is truncate, with 

 a single pair of spiracles ; and the margins of the trunca- 

 ture are for the most part provided with fleshy, retractile 

 processes of variable, size and shape. Some aquatic lar- 

 vae have a long tube at the end of the body, which serves 

 for respiration when raised to the surface of the water. 



Most of the larvae live in the earth or in soil-like, de- 

 composing wood, in fungi, or in water. Others live on 

 the leaves of plants and are like caterpillars in appear- 

 ance, the resemblance to which is yet more heightened 

 by the green color, with a crest of tubercles on the back. 



The pupae, like those of many of the members of this 

 suborder, are free. The thorax has two horn-like pro- 

 cesses which represent the thoracic spiracles, one of 

 which may acquire a very great length for the purpose 

 of breathing from the surface while under water. The 

 abdominal segments have transverse rows of hairs, bris- 

 tles or spines, which enable the pupa to escape from its 

 place of concealment when about to complete its meta- 

 morphosis. 



The adult flies are often seen in the late summer and 

 autumn. They will be most usually met with in mead- 

 ow-lands and forests, flying awkwardly for a few steps, 

 close to the ground till they become entangled in the 

 grass or twigs, and then extricating themselves, rising 

 again to repeat the same aimless, clumsy flight. 



