36 REPORT ON INJURIOUS INSECTS FOR IQO6. 



also by no means uncommon in some of our large towns, and numbers 

 were seen at rest on the shop fronts in the main streets. It is fond of 

 resting" on surfaces fully exposed to the sun, such as doors, gates, and 

 rails, and to a less extent on stone and brick walls. They are very active; 

 but their flight is quite inaudible at a short distance, the noise produced 

 being quite feeble. When disturbed they frequently return to the same 

 spot, but more especially so in favourite resting-places. At night they 

 retire to some sheltered spot, and numbers may be found at rest on 

 the beams and rafters in open sheds in farmyards, where they remain, 

 almost inert till the morning sun tempts them out again. They will 

 occasionally enter stables in the day time, and they were seen to enter 

 such places through a narrow opening or a crack in the door. 



They frequently clean their wings when in captivity, and this is 

 accomplished with great precision, the legs being used for this purpose. 

 The under surface of the wings are first combed, then the upper, the 

 legs are then rubbed together, and the process is again repeated in 

 exactly the same order. 



During the heat of the day the males preponderated : the ratio 

 was about three males to one female ; but towards evening the sexes 

 occurred in about equal numbers ; the captured females were, however, 

 nearly all freshly-emerged ones, and a large proportion of the eggs 

 which they laid in captivity proved infertile. 



During a period of fourteen days a careful watch was kept on 

 both cattle and horses in various farmyards where the flies were com- 

 mon, but no flies were seen either to alight upon the animals or to suck 

 blood from them : at the same time several examples of both males 

 and females were captured which were fully engorged with blood. 

 Moreover, a freshly-emerged male readily sucked blood from Mr. New- 

 stead's hand. There is, however, no lack of authentic evidence as to 

 the blood-sucking habits of this fly. 



Two specimens were seen to settle on fresh cow dung, and appar- 

 ently feed upon the moisture on it, passing the extended proboscis 

 rapidly over the surface ; such habits were apparently exceptional or 

 rarely seen in a state of nature ; but in captivity they readily fed on 

 the fresh faeces of the horse and sheep, more especially so on the latter. 

 A female was also seen to drive its proboscis into the thorax of a dead 

 companion, and apparently suck up the juices of its body. Three 

 specimens fed upon some sugar and water, and also some sucked up 

 the moisture from a decayed and fetid potato. 



In captivity they lived several days ; but they were supplied with 

 an abundance of fresh air and some moist faeces. The females died 

 immediately, or shortly after laying their eggs. 



When the female is about to lay its eggs the ovipositor becomes 



