THE BIRD-PLIES. 643 



swallow, had by some chance taken its station between the 

 jilieets, and thus glutted itself with the blood of man.' 



jM)-. Shejjpard remarks, as a reason for this dereliction of 

 their appropriate food, that no sooner does life depart from the 

 bird that these Flies infest, than they immediately desert it 

 and take fliglit, alighting upon the first living creature that 

 they meet with ; which, if it be not a bird, they soon quit, 

 but, as it should seem from the above facts, not until they 

 have made a trial how it will suit them as food.' 



The fore-leg of this insect is shown at Fig. d, the lip and 

 tongue at e, and the antenna at /. These organs should be 

 compared with those of the previously described insects, as by 

 their means identification becomes easy. 



The generic name of the insect represented on Woodcut 

 LXXVIII. Fig. 1 is formed from two Greek words, signifying 

 ' blood-devourer,' and is very appropriate. Its scientific name 

 is Hcemobora pallipes. I believe it is not common enough to 

 have any popular name. 



The general colour of this insect is shining greenish-yellow, 

 clouded with brown. The eyes and claws are black. Beneath, 

 the thorax is boldly punctured, and covered with short and 

 strong hairs. The wings are nearly transparent, with yellow 

 nervures, and slightly ciliated on the costal margin. The 

 insect is found in the New Forest, attacking indiscriminately 

 any kind of quadruped. 



The points in which this insect differs from those which have 

 hitherto been described are shown in the illustration. Fig. a 

 gives the front view of its head, which, as will at once be seen, 

 is very different from that of the other Hippoboscidse. The 

 wings, too, are very much larger in proportion, and have a few 

 ver: distinct nervures. The antenna is featliered, and the 

 fore-leg, as sho^vn at 6, is short and strong. The peculiar form 

 of the mentum, with its array of bristles, is shown at c. 



The second family of this group, or Nycteribiidse, has the 

 nead very small aud set on the back or upper part of the 

 thorax, and it cannot be bent down into a cavity of the under 

 surface of the thorax, as is the case with the preceding insect. 

 They are without wings, but Mr. Westwood thinks that a pair 



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