TWO. WINGED FLIES 123 



the insect seemed strangely inconsistent 

 with the apparent ferocity of its actions; 

 yet, after all, the dragonfly was only taking 

 its food in its own way. We are apt to feel on 

 such occasions that the actions of an insect 

 correspond with those of a human being. 

 Energy of movement, which in a human being 

 we should consider savage, is deemed equally 

 savage in the case of the lower organism. 



The Diptera, or Two-winged flies, differ 

 in most respects from the group I have just 

 been describing. They suck their food in 

 place of biting it ; they fly with two wings 

 in place of four ; they are mostly of small 

 size and inconspicuous appearance ; they are 

 individually numerous and often gregarious ; 

 and they are frequently an annoyance, 

 sometimes a terror, to men. In Britain 

 the clouds of flies, which surround and buzz 

 about the head of the wayfarer, are trouble- 

 some on a hot day, and stinging gnats, clegs, 

 and gadflies, are worse than troublesome ; 

 but they are as nothing to the dipterous 

 hordes of Egypt, or to the mosquito and 

 tsetse. 



The Philistines were no doubt influenced 



