TWO-WINGED FLIES AND FLEAS 99 



The familiar " daddy-longlegs " l represents the 

 family of crane-flies. 2 The larvae of this insect and 

 certain of its relatives are the "leather-jacket" that 

 do so much mischief by feeding on the roots of plants. 

 The family is a large one, however, and the details of 

 the life histories vary considerably. Some of the larvae 

 feed 11 the moist mould that accumulates in decaying 

 tree-stumps ; others are aquatic. The perfect insects 

 may be recognized by their immensely long legs, which 

 (as Dr. Sharp remarks) " break off with great ease, 

 and the insect appears to get on perfectly well without 

 them." 



In the second group 3 of the sub-order Orthorrapha 

 the species have never more than five joints in the 

 antenna, usually only three. The larvae have small, 

 retractile heads, and are much more maggot-like than 

 those of the preceding group. There are numerous 

 families, among which the following are especially 

 noteworthy : 



The family Stratiomyida includes the broad- bodied 

 "soldier" or "chameleon" flies, as well as others 

 which are more slender in form. The species are 

 often prettily coloured, sometimes metallic. The 

 larvae are chiefly aquatic, though some feed in decay- 

 ing matter ; but the perfect insects frequent flowers. 



The robust gad-flies and their kindred make up the 

 family Tabanida, the most familiar example being the 

 " cleg," or rain breeze-fly 4 a provoking blood-sucker 

 which seems usually to pester men and horses. 

 Throughout the family piercing mouth-parts are re- 

 markably well developed in the females, and many of 

 the species which attack cattle, horses, and deer, are 



1 Tipula olevacea. 2 Tipulidce. 



3 Brachycera. 4 Hcematopota pluvialis. 



