WING OF MIDGE. 93 



WING OF SYRPHUS, 



not one of the Muscidse, or true flies, and therefore a good 

 example of a beautiful variety. The Syrphidse are a nu- 

 merous family, comprising thirty-one genera; they are mostly 

 seen hovering over flowers, vibrating their wings as they 

 pause awhile, then darting with rapid flight a short distance 

 only, and becoming stationary again. Many of the species 

 make a humming noise like a Bee, and are mistaken for either 

 Bees or Wasps. 



The veining of this wing is an excellent lesson. The 

 Costal vein ends just before the tip of the wing, and receives 

 the Radial, or Cubital ; for both these veins are not always 

 present in the Syrphus wing. 



The Mediastinal is very distinct ; a transverse vein con- 

 nects the Cubital with the Prabrachial near the margin. But 

 the chief distinction lies in one or two spurious veins, one 

 of which crosses a small transverse vein between the 

 Prabrachial and Cubital, and the second, when present, runs 

 behind the Pobrachial vein. 



These examples of wings are most useful in awakening 

 attention to the importance of minute observation, to the 

 perfect order of Creation in all its parts, to the distinct indi- 

 viduality of each tiny fly in the presence of Him who made 

 it. How little we think of this ; how carelessly we glance 

 at the flies on our window-panes ; they are nearly all alike to 

 our unseeing eyes. We complain of them, lay traps for 

 them, kill them, but it seldom occurs to us that we had 

 better study them. 



WING OF MIDGE. 

 (Psychoda.) 



Only two examples more will I give the wing of a 

 Midge and the wing of a Gnat. These both belong to the 

 first order of Diptera, the Tipulidse, which comprises all the 

 Gnats, Midges, and Daddy-long-legs, or Tipulse. There are 

 many more veins in this tiny wing than in any yet noticed, 

 and the number of areolets or enclosed spaces in the 

 wing is thirteen, every vein thickly covered with fine hairs ; 



