434 THE NATURAL HISTORY 



" Forest," where the gad-flies and clegs abound, with 

 the blood streaming down their sides in consequence 

 of the attacks of one or more species of these 

 formidable insects, and as each puncture is imme- 

 diately followed by a hard irritating swelling, which 

 does not subside for several days, the torture endured 

 by the poor animals must be considerable. The only 

 redeeming feature in the perfect Tabanus is the beauty 

 of its compound eyes, which are conspicuously banded 

 with golden-green and purple. Chrysops ccecutiens, 

 another member of this sanguinary family, is also 

 remarkable for the dazzling beauty of its eyes, which 

 resemble brilliant hemispheres of burnished gold, "a 

 character which is expressed in its generic name. 



Bombylius major is closely allied to the gad-flies, 

 but in its personal appearance and economy in the 

 perfect state, there is little to indicate to an un- 

 experienced observer any close affinity between them. 

 In a state of repose it might easily be mistaken for a 

 small humble bee, with an unusually long, exposed 

 proboscis, but when it is on the wing its flight is much 

 more rapid than that of the latter, and of a different 

 character. Like the Hawk moths, it whisks from 

 flower to flower, and sips their nectar to the humming 

 music of its own wings without settling. We have 

 met with many individuals of this species, and of 

 Bombylius medius, while thus engaged among the 

 wild spring flowers. 



A group of very predacious flies follows the harm- 

 less Bombylius, including, among many others, Empis 

 pennipes, Empis borealis, Empis tessellata and Asilus 

 Crabroniformis, or the Hornet Fly. In these the body 

 is long, the abdomen gradually tapering to a point, 

 and the proboscis, with only four internal puncturing 

 instruments, short but very powerful. We have more 

 than once been deceived by the singular appearance 

 of some of these insects on the wing, and have occa- 

 sionally netted one under the impression that we had 



