CLOUDS OF THEM SEEN IX JANUARY, 1836. 189 



Even at the most inclement season of the year, 

 they occasionally appear in very considerable num- 

 bers. An instance of this recently occurred between 

 Maghera and Dungiven, county Derry, and is thus 

 mentioned in the Northern Whig of Thursday, the 

 7th of January, 1836: — " On j^esterday, while the 

 Belfast and Londonderry' day coach was passing over 

 Glenshane mountain, on its way to this to^-n, it came 

 repeatedly in contact with extensive and dense 

 clouds of small flies, or midges. This very singular 

 occurrence continued for nearly a mile." I found, on 

 inquiry, that no one had thought of taking anj^ spe- 

 cimens, so that I am unable to state what species of 

 flies formed the vast assemblage thus noticed. 



The countless multitude of summer flies do not 

 all select a station so elevated as that I have now 

 mentioned. IVIr. Haliday states, in speaking of Bibio 

 lanigerus, — " The first time I met with this species 

 was in the beginning of April some years back, walk- 

 ing one sunny morning on a low, sandy spit, that 

 runs into the bay at Hollywood, and is used for graz- 

 ing cattle. I was struck by an appearance of innu- 

 merable sparldes of light over the short herbage, as 

 far as I could see, resembling the reflections of the 

 sun on a g: 'itle ripple. On looking for the cause, I 

 found the sward covered with species, principally 

 males, who were in busy movement, exploring and 



