TABANUS. 35 



a tawny scapula along each side, widening from the shoulder to the 

 base of the wing. Scutellum tawny. Wings pale grey. Halteres 

 luteous. Hind borders of the abdominal segments tawny beneath. 

 Legs tawny. 



Very rare. In the British Museum. The larva feeds on the 

 wood of the oak. (E.) 



FAMILY III. TABANID^. 



:, Lch. ; Ct. ; Wtw. Tabanii, LI. ; Fin. ; Mg. ; Mq. ; Ztt. ; 

 Ags. Tabanii p., LI. h. n. ; Lm. Anthracina p., Rfnq. Sclerostoma 

 p., Dmr. Tabanica, Brm. Tabinites, Nwm. Tabanince, Kdn. 



Os maris setis 4, feminse setis 6, armatum. Antenna? porrectse, 



approximate ; tertius et sequentes flagellum compactum nngentes. 



Alae incumbentes, deflexre. 



Structure robust, much developed. Body rather broad, of large or 

 middle size. Head semicircular, generally somewhat depressed. Eyes 

 large, generally golden-green, of various shades, often with purple or 

 brown bands. Mouth projecting. Palpi porrect, inserted at the base 

 of the maxillae. Antennas porrect, inserted in front of the face, 

 approximate at the base, with 6, 8, or 10 joints ; third and following 

 joints forming a compact flagellum, whose tip is not setiform. Wings 

 incumbent, deflexed. Alulaa large, half-covering the halteres. Abdo- 

 men with seven segments. Legs stout ; hind legs longer than the 

 anterior ; tips of middle tibiaB armed with two spines. 



Male. Eyes contiguous. Mouth without mandibles. Palpi hori- 

 zontal, with obtuse tips. Abdomen obconical, much narrower towards 

 the tip. 



Jem. Eyes remote. Mouth armed with mandibles. Palpi de- 

 flexed, acute. Abdomen broad, depressed, hardly narrower towards 

 the tip. 



These flies appear in summer, chiefly abound in woods, and 

 are most frequent in the hottest weather. Their flight is power- 

 ful; the males frequent flowers; the females with their sharp 

 mouths pierce the skins and feed on the blood of quadrupeds. 

 The larva is apod, long, cylindrical, grey, with twelve seg- 

 ments ; it lives in the earth, and feeds on decaying vegetable 

 and animal matter. 



Ocelli 



{7-jointed 1. TABANUS. 

 6-jointed 2. H^MATOPOTA. 



three . 3. CHRrsors. 



