yO TRIBES OF THE 



Tribe or order Asilixa 

 Feed on other flies or insects. 

 They have a sharp beak or rostrum, 

 Formed, as in the last, of lancets. 

 Hanging down and not porrected. 

 Or stretched out at length before them. 

 With this beak they pierce their \'ictinis, 

 And then, having thus transfixed them, 

 Fly -with living prey suspended 

 Helpless underneath their bodies. 

 Until they have sucked its juices. 

 Their antennae are fivejointed, 

 With a very few exceptions. 

 And in these the joints are seven ; 

 The foiTH always is elongate ; 

 Body mostly rough and haiiy, 

 Never nipped in at the middle. 



Next them come the gay Stephina, 



Beautiful and useful insects : 



Beautiful and gaily banded 



In the state of perfect insects, 



Hangmg, in the air suspended, 



Over leaves and over flowers ; 



Useful because in the larva 



Feeding mostly upon plantlice. 



In the summer we may hear them 



Floating in the air and humming ; 



