THE CHIRONOMIDA. 177 
C. atomaria, Zett. 
This species is recorded by Walker, but its identification seems 
uncertain. It is black (4), yellow in the female, with drown 
scutellum with a yellow base. The wings of the ¢ white, not yellow, 
as in minuta; the wings of the 9? are, however, yellow, contrary to 
minuta. 
GENvUS.—Chironomus. 
The members of this large genus, which possibly contains more 
than one hundred British species, are mostly small flies ; A/umosus, 
one of the largest, seldom exceeding 6 lin. in length. The eyes are 
reniform and separate in both male and female. The palpi, which 
are 4-jointed, are usually curved and pubescent; the first joint is 
small, the second and third of moderate length and nearly equal, 
the fourth is longer and more slender. Antenne plumose and 
seated in a notch in the eye. Wings elongated, generally bare, 
narrow ; a deep notch on the posterior margin at the base of the 
wing. Abdomen is composed of eight segments, slender, sometimes 
flattened dorso-ventrally. Legs long and slender, no spurs or spines, 
sometimes slightly hairy ; ungues or claws and onychia very small. 
In the male the antennz are 13-jointed, densely plumose, the hairs 
gradually decreasing towards the tip of the antenna; the first joint 
is short and cylindrical, the next eleven joints are also very short, 
the thirteenth being filiform, and as long as all the others put 
together. There are four apical appendages in the male, which are 
often hairy. Inthe female the antennz are only 6-jointed, not more 
than half the length of the thorax, hairs few and not nearly so long 
as in the male. Abdomen shorter and thicker than in the male. 
The pobrachial areolet is not closed in this genus, as in Zanypus. 
Pl..iv., igs. 2, 3,'etc. 
C. annularts, Lat. 
Chironomus plumosus, L.= 4 ~ grandis, Meg. 
This is one of the largest European chironomi, sometimes measur- 
ing as much as 6 lin. in length; it is a very abundant species in most 
parts of England, and appears from spring to autumn. 
The body of this species, which is testaceous in colour, is covered 
with a silvery-gray tomentum. The thorax is marked with three 
dark gray or brown stripes; head testaceous, antenne and palpi 
also dark brown to testaceous. Abdomen gray, sometimes brownish- 
gray, the hind borders of the segments pale gray, hairy. Wings have 
a distinct black dot upon their discal area ; the costal is dark brown, 
12 
